I was fascinated to find this picture book that was the winner of the 2020 Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Medal. Having great-great grandparents who were of Native American descent I thought this story might serve as a window into the life and experiences my ancestors may have had. Along with winning the American Indian Library Association Youth Literature Award and being illustrated by Caldecott honor winner Juana Martinez-Neal the question of "is this a good book?" probably doesn't need to be asked, but how can I pass up the opportunity to share some of the highlights I discovered while reading this sweet tale. The illustrations, theme and characters of the story make for an enjoyable read.
Though this book is labeled as a Native American family story the characters come from all walks of life. Asian, Hispanic, Black and Caucasian children follow the Native American mother, carrying ingredients and participating in the making of fry bread. The mother loving explains all the things that fry bread is. Fry bread is food, shape, sound, color, flavor, time, art, history, place, nation, and even us. Fry bread is more than just a feast for the senses. All students can see themselves represented in the pages.
The theme of community stands out in this story. While everyone has different background and cultures we can all come together like the ingredients of fry bread to strengthen and support each other and build community. This appreciation for culture and community is further highlighted in the author's note where Maillard shares a brief history of Navajo tribes making the first fry bread. He also shares the influences of his heritage through notes of the illustrations on each page. Here we learn that the tattoos on the father's wrists represent lightning and trees, and that the ways to roll out the dough using a rolling pin or hands to pat down and shape the bread can be as varied and unique as each person is.
Juana Martinez-Neal does a lovely job capturing the theme and portraying the characters through her artwork. Clouds of flour, swirls of color drifting from pans, and puffy pieces of fry bread will make readers hungry for a taste. The amount of detail added into the kitchen counters, the woven blankets, and even the characters' clothing will encourage readers to slow down and soak in every emotion this story displays.
The literary elements along with the list of accolades deems this book a good one. This informational picture book was an enjoyable read and the opportunity to use the recipe to make fry bread turns this story into a sliding glass door where readers can actual have the experience they just read about. I rate this book 4.5 out of 5 stars.
Maillard, K. N., and Martinez-Neal, J. (2019). Fry bread: A Native American family story. Roaring Book Press.
Comments