Black-Eyed Peas and Hoghead Cheese: A Story of Food, Family, and Freedom

Black-Eyed Peas and Hoghead Cheese: A Story of Food, Family, and Freedom

A little girl helping her grandmother prepare a holiday meal learns about the origins of soul food in this powerful picture book that celebrates African American cuisine and identity from an award-winning author. Know what I like most about Grandma’s kitchen? More than jambalaya? More than sweet potato pie? Even more than pralines? Grandma’s stories! Every meal Grandma cooks comes with a story. What will today’s story be? While visiting her grandma in Louisiana, nine-year-old Frances is excited to help prepare the New Year’s Day meal. She listens as Grandma tells stories—dating back to the Atlantic Slave Trade—about the food for their feast. Through these stories, Frances learns not only about the ingredients and the dishes they are making but about her ancestors and their history as well. A celebration of the stories that connect us, this picture book urges us to think about the foods we eat and why we eat them. This book was inspired by the author's own childhood and includes her family's very own recipe for pralines in the back! Gr 2–4—Frances is in town visiting her family for the New Year's holiday. She gets to spend the whole day in the kitchen with her grandmother helping cook and listening to the stories behind why her family eats the foods that they do. Along with Frances, readers get to learn about black-eyed peas, hogshead cheese, pecan pralines, and other foods that were originally eaten by slaves out of necessity and are now eaten during celebrations to honor and thank their ancestors for their sacrifice. Armand includes sidebars that give factual information about topics talked about in the story, from the Atlantic Slave Trade to definitions for different foods. Creole words are interspersed through the text, but the narrator sounds them out phonetically. The illustrations are detailed and colorful, inviting readers into the space with Frances and showing off the different foods she and her grandmother make. Back matter includes a recipe for pecan pralines, author's note, sources, and a further reading list. VERDICT Excellent for any collection needing to expand the New Year offerings; display it before the December break.—Jennifer Ritzie Praise for Black-eyed Peas and Hoghead Cheese : " Armand and Walthall provide a refreshingly loving portrayal of family life during the era of chattel slavery, and the juxtaposition with a modern Black American family offers a healing connection and insight . A solid overview of the history of soul food." -- Kirkus Reviews Glenda Armand has had a long career as a teacher and school librarian and enjoys writing picture-book biographies that inspire children to dream big. Glenda is the author of the award-winning Love Twelve Miles Long, Ira’s Shakespeare Dream , and Song in a Rainstorm: The Story of Musical Prodigy Thomas “Blind Tom” Wiggins. When not writing or practicing the piano, Glenda tends a garden full of succulents and roses. She lives in Los Angeles, California, and you can learn more about her at glenda-armand.com. Steffi Walthall lives in Sterling, Virginia, and is heavily inspired by mythology, history, film, and science fiction. When working she focuses on crafting a diverse range of characters and unique stories. Steffi is the illustrator of Moving Forward by Chris Barton and Aint’t Gonna Let Nobody Turn Me Round by Kathleen J. Kirkwood. In her free time, you can find her listening to Dungeons & Dragons podcasts or playing video games (badly). For more information about Steffi, please visit SteffiWalthallArt.com.