Thank You, Omu!

"Throughout the day, people from all across the neighborhood knocked on Omu's door. She fed a shop owner, a cab driver, a doctor, an actor, a lawyer, a dancer, a baker, an artist, a singer, an athlete, a bus driver, a construction worker...
Even the mayor stopped by!

An each time the knocked, Omu shared.

Soon, the sky darkened, the
streetlights brightened, and it
was finally time for dinner.

But when Omu opened her big fat
pot of thick red stew for her nice
evening meal...

IT WAS EMPTY!

---

Oge Mora

Thank You, Omu!, Mora's first book, earned recognition with 11 awards including a 2019 Caldecott Honor Book, the 2019 Ezra Jack Keats Book Award, and the 2019 Coretta Scott King
John Steptoe New Talent Illustrator Award.  Her second book, Saturday, is earning similar recognition.  Mora's art is warm, colorful and pattern-filled collage -- it is a rich visual feast for child and adult alike.

Synopsis

When the aroma of Omu's thick, red homemade stew wafts through the neighborhood her neighbors arrive, one by one, for a taste until the pot is empty. Omu is hungry at the end of the day until her community mirrors her generous spirit.

---

Relevance

Thank you. It's a simple phrase which becomes a part of our heart when we recognize the generous gifts -- attention, time, effort -- others give to us. It takes purposeful, diligent effort to teach our little ones a heart of gratitude, but it is one of the foundations of civility and thus, an essential part of healthy development. 

Learning Connections

• Oge Mora Discusses Thank You, Omu!, LBYR
  
• Simple & Fun Ways to Teach Kids About Gratitude, Pick Any Two
• Collage Art Ideas for Kids, The Artful Parent

Picture book, 40 pages. Everyone in the neighborhood dreams of a taste of Omu’s delicious stew and one by one make their way to her apartment.