Exploring the Delightful Combination of Pickles and Poetry in 'Punchy Pickles and Poetry' by April Pulley Sayre- An E-ARC Review and Discussion Questions

Pickle Words: Cruncy, Punchy Pickles and Poetry by April Pulley Sayre

This book is currently available for pre-order. This title will be released on Kindle and in hardcover on Tuesday, July 16th, 2024.

Genre: Children’s picture book nonfiction/poetry

Publisher: Charlesbridge

Illustrator: Jialei Sun

Netgalley Shelfs e-book page count: 36

Thank you to Netgalley, publisher, and author for providing me with an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

Age Recommended: 4+

Star rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Date Started and Finished: May 14, 2024  

Synopsis:

Looking for a poetry, illustrated book that celebrates all things pickled then this book might be for you or your pickled food-loving kiddos. Open this book and enjoy a colorful rainbow of pickles. Not only green cucumbers, but also yellow peppers, pink cabbages, and purple plums. Pickles come in a variety of shapes and sizes—as do the words that describe them.

Punchy poetry and zesty imagery tell the story of a diverse community brought together by a shared love of pickles. Pickle Words takes readers on a global journey of pickled delicacies, from kosher dills to sweet chutney and pungent kimchi. The back matter offers information on pickling science, an easy recipe for refrigerator pickles, and a graphic lexicon of pickles from around the world.

Review:

The cover is cute, amusing, colorful, and appealing to both adult and child readers. The graphics are vivid, unique, and complement the poetry text. I enjoyed the paper slips throughout the book that describe the pickled foods, such as bumpy, fresh, and juicy, because they are educational and provide a terrific learning experience about the various ways one may describe foods. The short and medium-length rhyming style is easy to read and understand, making it a quick and educational read for both children and adults.

I enjoyed how the author and illustrator represented diversity in this book, from the people to the dishes. I liked seeing the illustrations of the kids participating in the pickling process because it demonstrates a method for families of all ages and sizes to spend time together while trying something new or keeping a traditional dish or activity alive in their household. I admired and liked how the author dedicated pages at the conclusion to the many foods that were pickled and referenced in the novel, as well as gave other resources for people to learn more about pickling and pickled foods. Pickle Words: Cruncy, Punchy Pickles, and Poetry, written by April Pulley Sayre and illustrated by Jialei Sun, is a wonderful short poetry book that would be ideal for children and adults who enjoy pickling, pickled foods, gardening, or food in general, or who want to purchase a book that will provide learning opportunities about these topics and possibly more in the future.

Discussion Questions for Pickle Words: Cruncy, Punchy Pickles, and Poetry written by April Pulley Sayre and illustrated by Jialei Sun

1.      Was the book a “thumbs up” or a “thumbs down” for you?

2.      What do you think about the book’s cover?

3.      Was there a specific scene or illustration that you liked?

a.      Which part of the illustration caught your attention the most?

4.      What did you enjoy about this book?

5.       What did you dislike about the book?

6.      What are some of the steps to the pickling process?

7.      The book depicts various pickled foods. What are some of the pickled foods from the book you want to try?

8.      Based on the reading, what are some of the ways kids can help during the pickling process?

9.      After reading the book, what are some of the things you learned about the pickling and pickled foods?

10.  After seeing the illustrations in the book, describe or draw some pickled foods or write a short poem involving pickled food.