Arroz con leche: Un poema para cocinar/ Rice Pudding: A Cooking Poem

A boy draws parallels between the wonders of nature and the wonders of rice pudding in this ode to his favorite dish. Functioning as a jubilant recipe, the boy's poem walks readers through the process (steps needing adult assistance are marked with an asterisk). "Sprinkle the rice into the pot./ The little white grains of rice/ rain music and sing/ as they fall./ In the kitchen the rice is singing." With a retro palette of orange, green, and teal, Vilela's illustrations have a funky exuberance that play up the boy's excitement, while nodding to the dish's heritage in the patterned surfaces of the family's home. Ages 4–7. (Sept.)