Thank You, Omu!
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| Author | Oge Mora |
|---|---|
| Publisher | Little, Brown and Company |
Publication date | October 2, 2018 |
| Pages | unpaged |
| Awards | Caldecott Honor, Coretta Scott King Steptoe Award |
| ISBN | 978-0-316-43124-8 |
Thank You, Omu! is a 2018 picture book written and illustrated by Oge Mora. 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, where it was seen by an editor from Little, Brown. Thank You, Omu was well reviewed and a recipient of the 2019 Caldecott Honor for its illustrations. The book's mixed media drew praise for their detailed depictions of characters and locations.
The book, originally titled Omu's Stew, started as a student project for a class of Mora's at the Rhode Island School of Design: an assignment which required a character to have gained or lost something.[1] While Omu is the Igbo word for queen, Mora's family had also used it to mean grandmother.[1] In the book's backmatter, Mora credits her grandmother as one of her strong female role models.[2] An editor for Little, Brown was present when the students' books were presented and signed Mora before she even had an agent.[1] The book was published on October 2, 2018.[3]
Plot
Omu makes a stew for dinner and its smell spreads throughout the neighbourhood. 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.