Review: Cora cooks pancit by Dorina K. Lazo Gilmore

Cora loves being in the kitchen, but she always gets stuck doing the kid jobs like licking the spoon. One day, however, when her older sisters and brother head out, Cora finally gets the chance to be Mama's assistant chef. And of all the delicious Filipino dishes that dance through Cora's head, she and Mama decide to make pancit, her favorite noodle dish.

With Mama's help, Cora does the grown-up jobs like shredding the chicken and soaking the noodles (perhaps Mama won't notice if she takes a nibble of chicken or sloshes a little water on the floor). Cora even gets to stir the noodles in the pot—carefully-- while Mama supervises. When dinner is finally served, her siblings find out that Cora did all their grown-up tasks, and Cora waits anxiously to see what everyone thinks of her cooking.

Dorina Lazo Gilmore's text delightfully captures the warmth between mother and daughter as they share a piece of their Filipino heritage. With bright and charming illustrations by Kristi Valiant, Cora's family comes alive as Cora herself becomes the family's newest little chef.

Amazon book link here: 
​​https://www.amazon.com/Cora-Cooks-Pancit-Dorina-Gilmore/dp/1885008481/

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~ Reviews ~ 

I enjoyed this book as it brought so many memories - specifically, the smells of Filipino foods. And it was a pleasure to read with the kiddos (first gen 8 yr old and 4 yr old) and revisit those memories made in the kitchen. 

What my kiddos think

I'm going to add this section because I'm not the only one reading these, right?! I'm reading this to them and its' for them. My kiddos are E who is 8 and a 3rd grader, and R who is 4. 
E said this about the book:
She tried her best and tried hard. And she really did it. It was really nice and makes me feel like I want to cook pancit. 

R said this about the book: 
I was dreaming about pancit. 

About the Author and Illustrator 

Dorina chases God's glory as a mama, foodie, runner, and a weaver of words. Her essays have been published at (in)courage, Kindred Mom, For Every Mom, The MOPS blog and in more than 20 newspapers. She specializes in helping people discover God's glory through adversity and flourish in community. Her new book is Walk Run Soar, a devotional for runners and enthusiastic walkers that she wrote with her husband Shawn.

Dorina is passionate about raising up women from diverse backgrounds to thrive in their God-given callings. For more than 12 years, she has been leading Bible studies and developing leaders. Her gift is delivering authentic, Biblically-sound messages that engage audiences through story. She has published two Bible studies, Glory Chasers: Discovering God's Glory in Unexpected Places and Flourishing Together: Cultivating a Fruitful Life in Christ.

With an MFA in Children's Literature, Dorina has published three multicultural children's books and a collection of poetry. Her book, Cora Cooks Pancit, received the Asian American Librarian's Association Picture Book of the Year. Dorina also has experience teaching college students, speaking in elementary schools, and coaching youth.

Dorina is the granddaughter of Filipino-Hawaiian and Italian immigrants. Raised in Chicago, she was transplanted to Fresno, California in 1999. She considers herself a California girl now as she raises three daughters to love the cultural diversity, wonder-filled landscapes and unique food of the state. After her husband died from cancer in 2014, Dorina married a long-time friend, Shawn Young. When Dorina is not writing or spending time with family, she's out on the trails running marathons and chasing God's glory.

Connect with Dorina at www.DorinaGilmore.com, where you can sign up for her Glorygram letter. You can also find her as @DorinaGilmore on Instagram, Twitter and Pinterest.