Cora wishes she could be a real cook, like her big sisters and brothers, but she is “stuck with kid jobs like drawing pictures in the flour or licking spoons.” Opportunity arises the day Cora is home alone with her Mama, and the two set out to make pancit, just as her Lolo— her grandpa—did when he was a cook for Filipino farmworkers when he first came to California. As her Lolo used to do, Cora’s Mama tells stories about the Philippines as the two soak noodles, shred chicken, chop vegetables, cook, and stir. When her family sits down to pancit that evening, Cora wonders if she did everything right. She must have, because they like it! Best of all, Dad declares that it “tastes like your Lolo’s pancit,” as Cora and her contemporary Filipino American family sit contentedly around the dinner table. A glossary and “Lolo’s Pancit Recipe” round out the book. (Ages 3–7)

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.