Let's Pop, Pop, Popcorn!

January 25, 2021
In energetic rhymes and onomatopoeic text, debut author Schumerth details popcorn’s journey from seed to snack. As the pages turn, an inclusive group of children prepare the soil and tend the sprouts (“Dig the ground up with a hoe./ Plant the seeds and hope they grow”); watch for growing stalks (“Ears sprout hair that’s fuzzy red”); harvest, shuck, and dry ears of corn; and at last pop the resultant kernels into their final delicious form. Vibrant unlined illustrations by Uhles make use of textural close-ups to show the children invested at every stage of the plant’s journey; one spread includes a kid’s-eye view of weeding. Though a smattering of scientific words sometimes slows the text’s otherwise steady rhythm (“Not strong enough to hold this load.../ The shells (called pericarps) explode”), Schumerth and Uhles offer a lively introduction to the science behind a favorite munchable. Back matter includes more information about why popcorn pops, along with a popcorn-related science project and craft. Ages 6–7.

February 1, 2021
A spirited rhyming ode to popcorn and the fun it brings to all. This book can be divided into two parts. The first half follows a group of children as they learn to grow popcorn plants. A freckle-faced White kid works with a hoe as a brown-haired child with beige skin drops seeds into the ground. The whole diverse group marvels as the sprouts emerge and quickly grow up past their heads. They harvest and dry the cobs and remove the kernels with a "plink, plunk, plink." The kernels land in the pot, the text maintaining its rhyme scheme as it covers the anatomy of a kernel and why it pops. While this scientific interlude rhymes germ with endosperm, the syncopation through these pages is clumsy and forced. Luckily, when the popcorn starts popping, the energy and fun and meter return. While each line of text rarely strays from seven or eight syllables, there is great synergy between words and pictures, making it hard to sit still while turning the pages. Representing a wide variety of skin tones and hair textures, the children all display an engaged and curious demeanor. Their teacher, a Black woman, provides adult supervision of the cooking. Endnotes provide a summary on the types of corn, the parts of a kernel, and why popcorn pops, with a few popcorn-related activities. Fun: a highly disguised STEM book for snack lovers. (Informational picture book. 4-8)

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