''Thank You, Omu!'' is a 2018

picture book A picture book combines visual and verbal narratives in a book format, most often aimed at young children. With the narrative told primarily through text, they are distinct from comics, which do so primarily through sequential images. The images ...

written and illustrated by

Oge Mora Oge Mora is a children's book illustrator and author living in Providence, Rhode Island. She received a Caldecott Honor, Coretta Scott King John Steptoe Award for New Talent, and Ezra Jack Keats Book Award in 2019 for her book, '' Thank You, ...

. The story is about Omu, who cooks a stew and shares it with her neighbors; they show their gratitude by bringing her food. The book started as an assignment for a class of Mora's at the

Rhode Island School of Design The Rhode Island School of Design (RISD , pronounced "Riz-D") is a private art and design school in Providence, Rhode Island. The school was founded as a coeducational institution in 1877 by Helen Adelia Rowe Metcalf, who sought to increase the ...

, where it was seen by an editor from

Little, Brown Little, Brown and Company is an American publishing company founded in 1837 by Charles Coffin Little and James Brown in Boston. For close to two centuries it has published fiction and nonfiction by American authors. Early lists featured Emily D ...

. ''Thank You, Omu'' was well reviewed and a recipient of the 2019

Caldecott Honor The Randolph Caldecott Medal, frequently shortened to just the Caldecott, annually recognizes the preceding year's "most distinguished American picture book for children". It is awarded to the illustrator by the Association for Library Service ...

for its illustrations. The book's mixed media drew praise for their detailed depictions of characters and locations.

Background and publication

The book, originally titled ''Omu's Stew'', started as a student project for a class of Mora's at the

: an assignment which required a character to have gained or lost something. While Omu is the

Igbo Igbo may refer to: * Igbo people, an ethnic group of Nigeria * Igbo language, their language * anything related to Igboland, a cultural region in Nigeria See also * Ibo (disambiguation) * Igbo mythology * Igbo music * Igbo art * * Igbo-Ukwu, a ...

word for queen, Mora's family had also used it to mean grandmother. In the book's backmatter, Mora credits her grandmother as one of her strong female role models. An editor for

was present when the students' books were presented and signed Mora before she even had an agent. The book was published on October 2, 2018.

Plot

Omu makes a stew for dinner and its smell spreads throughout the neighborhood. One by one, starting with a boy, members of the community knock on her door to ask her for some of the stew, which Omu always gives. When Omu is ready for dinner, there is no more stew left. However, the community then brings her food to show their gratitude. They eat together and have a dance party.

Writing and illustrations

Mora chose a mixed media approach of cut paper, paint, and china markers for the book's illustrations. The use of collage gives, in the words of author

Benjamin Anastas Benjamin Anastas (born 1969) is an American novelist, memoirist, journalist and book reviewer born in Gloucester, Massachusetts. He teaches literature and writing at Bennington College and is on the faculty of the Bennington Writing Seminars MF ...

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

, "the book’s world a sense of depth and vibrancy." Mora's use of collage allows her to create evocative and distinct characters and attractive backgrounds. The use of mixed-medium collage was compared to the way stew is assembled and the book's themes of diversity and inclusion by ''Calling Caldecotts Monique Harris. The illustration of the steam from the stew spreading through the neighborhood received particular attention and praise. The illustrations are bright and in a style that reflects Mora's Nigerian roots and her experience in the African-American community, “I really love that I could combine Nigerian and American traditions and create a book that exists in a third space like I myself do". Her illustrations drew comparisons to that of

Ezra Jack Keats Ezra Jack Keats (né Jacob Ezra Katz; March 11, 1916 – May 6, 1983) was an American writer and illustrator of children's books. He won the 1963 Caldecott Medal for illustrating '' The Snowy Day'', which he also wrote. Keats wrote '' A Letter ...

. The nature of the story resembled folklore according to some reviewers. Omu's kindness being repaid by the neighbors helps to reinforce the book's theme of food as a means to sharing, diversity, and inclusion. By sharing the food together at the end the individuals come together as a community. Through her sharing of her food, the main character becomes a grandmother to the entire community. The book's advanced vocabulary, repetition, and

onomatopoeia Onomatopoeia is the process of creating a word that phonetically imitates, resembles, or suggests the sound that it describes. Such a word itself is also called an onomatopoeia. Common onomatopoeias include animal noises such as ''oink'', ''m ...

help it to be a good book to be read aloud.

Reception and awards

The book received a

starred review A starred review is a book review __NOTOC__ A book review is a form of literary criticism in which a book is merely described (summary review) or analyzed based on content, style, and merit. A book review may be a primary source, opinion piece ...

from

Kirkus Reviews ''Kirkus Reviews'' (or ''Kirkus Media'') is an American book review magazine founded in 1933 by Virginia Kirkus (1893–1980). The magazine is headquartered in New York City. ''Kirkus Reviews'' confers the annual Kirkus Prize to authors of fic ...

;

Publishers Weekly ''Publishers Weekly'' (''PW'') is an American weekly trade news magazine targeted at publishers, librarians, booksellers, and literary agents. Published continuously since 1872, it has carried the tagline, "The International News Magazine of B ...

, who also named it to their best books of 2018, praised the book as a "sweet story of inclusivity, gratitude, and delicious fellowship is also a feast for the eyes"; and

School Library Journal ''School Library Journal'' (''SLJ'') is an American monthly magazine containing reviews and other articles for school librarians, media specialists, and public librarians who work with young people. Articles cover a wide variety of topics, with ...

, with reviewer Maria Salvadore writing, "Children will enjoy this fresh, engaging story of friendship and community building, perfect for any group gathering." At the 2019 Youth Media Awards, the book was the recipient of a 2019

for its illustrations and the Coretta Scot King Steptoe Award for best new illustrator. Mora didn't answer the phone calling to tell her that she'd won the Caldecott Honor as she assumed it was a telemarketer only answering it when it called back a few minutes later. Upon hearing the news she cried say that, "Like most children’s book illustrators it has always been my dream to get Caldecott recognition one day. I simply cannot believe this has happened so early in my career but I am incredibly grateful." The book also won a 2019

Ezra Jack Keats Book Award The Ezra Jack Keats Book Award is an annual U.S. literary award. At the Ezra Jack Keats Book Awards Ceremony every April, the Ezra Jack Keats Foundation presents the New Writer Award (since 1985) and New Illustrator Award (since 2001) to an au ...

for its illustrations.

References

{{reflist 2018 children's books American picture books Caldecott Honor-winning works