Food From Around the World Activity and “Yoko” book Review.

by Haley Bono

Yoko By Rosemary Wells is a childhood favorite of mine. I was able to read this book to my 3-year-old who grew to love this book so much, sushi has become one of his favorite foods.

Yoko is a cat who takes sushi for her school lunch. As a food that isn’t traditionally American, Yoko is ridiculed for her meal. A well-meaning teacher decides to make an international food day, where all the students bring different foods from around the world, and Yoko makes friends with another student, who finally tries her unique food.

This is a book about accepting others who may be different from us. It also exposes young kids to different cultures and foods. We should never dismiss someone simply because they are “different”. We live in a world rich in ideas, beliefs, and perspectives. This book helps children explore some of those differences through the universal language of food.

This is an older, yet popular book. You may be able to find it at your local bookstore, but if not you can buy it here on Amazon. Also, check out your local library to see if it is available.

Food Around the World

Wherever you are in the world, you’re certain to find food. Food is a universal language as diverse as the people who cook it. This activity will explore some of the countries around the world and different foods each country is known for.

Supplies:

Free Printable Template (there will be a download at the end of the post), something to color with, scissors, and glue.

Directions:

1. Color each template. If you are using crayons, try not to color on the dotted tabs. The wax from the crayons may impact how well the glue sticks.
2. Cut out the country squares.
3. Fold along the solid line, and glue the folded portion within the “glue” section on the first page. I encourage you to look up each country and food, to learn a bit about the history and how they are made. You may even want to try some of the recipes yourself!
4. You now have a page with country flaps that share the food underneath.

Different Variations:

• If you are working with older kids there is a blank template for a single country. Have the child select a country and research a popular food from that country. They can write the country in the designated space, and then draw a picture of the food, and write a little about what the food is and where it came from.