Before I discovered the Harlem Renaissance, Booker T. Washington and Ancient Nubia. I learned about my cultural heritage at my mother and grandmother's table. Caribbean and Southern food was my first introduction to my cultural identity. Hearing stories about the family and our history, and learning the recipes that were pass down was my introduction to Black History. Where do these recipes come from? Why are certain foods considered good luck? What foods do you feed a new mother? As I got older helping in the kitchen and learning family recipes also became part of my introduction to Black joy. At my grandmother's table, food, love, laughter and stories were shared by family and friends. Meals were a sensuous occasion of smell, taste and camaraderie. This is where my identity was formed watching everyone working together while sharing their lives and their wisdom.
Throughout Black history there has always been Nanas and Aunties who opened their home and shared their table with everyone. They were the ones who kept families and traditions alive. They were also the great chefs and master storytellers who brought joy to the community. At this time when Black joy is so needed, we can celebrate the unsung heroes of Black History who kept alive families and traditions, and taught the spirit of sharing.
Here are a few books to share with young people that connect us with food, traditions and history.
A counting book that features an African-American family shopping for food, preparing dinner, and sitting down to eat. Lively read-aloud text paired with bright collage illustrations. Nice seeing the dynamics of a large family being represented.
Carla Hall, my favorite TV chef inspires young children with a story from her childhood. In this heartwarming tale from her childhood, superstar chef and TV host Carla Hall shares the story of young Carla, who eats a sugar cookie meant for Santa on the night before Christmas and then tries to make things right. Christmas is Carla’s favorite holiday of the year. She goes to her grandparents’ house and eats grandma’s special recipe—a perfectly delicious cornbread. She listens to her grandpa Doc’s marvelous stories about traveling the world. And, best of all, she spends lots of time with her family. But how will Santa know to stop at their house if they don’t leave him a midnight snack? With her grandmother’s help, Carla comes up with a plan, but will it be enough to save Christmas?
It's a rainy summer day, but the vegetables in Grandpa's garden are just waiting to be picked. Yellow peppers, purple cabbage, red tomatoes, green zucchini, orange carrots, and more. So many colors! So many delicious ingredients to slice, chop, peel, and dice for a great big pot of mouthwatering Rainbow Stew. The sweet story of three children who spend a rainy day with their grandfather, picking fresh vegetables in his garden, and then cook and share a meal of healthy vegetable stew.
Ruby's Reunion Day Dinner by Angela Dalton (Author), Jestenia Southerland (Illustrator)
This joyful picture book taps into the rich African American tradition of family reunions, with delicious food at the heart of the celebration.
Once a year, each of Ruby’s relatives prepares a special dish to share at their family reunion. Daddy calls it their “signature dish”—and Ruby wants one of her own. She wanders through the bustling kitchen looking for inspiration. As she watches Pop-Pop’s chicken sizzling in the skillet, Uncle G slicing onions, and Auntie Billie cooking corn on the hot grill, she wonders if she’s just too young to have a signature dish. That’s when she finds it— the perfect solution!
You will love watching Chef Toussaint make magic in the kitchen, from fried chicken to apple cinnamon french toast. Join this 9-year-old master chef as he turns his grandmother's old recipes into award-winning dishes. Experience the power of literacy through a great storyline and memorable images. Based in Atlanta, Georgia, Chef Toussaint's culinary genius has allowed him to be featured on the Food Network, and his food being sold in several restaurants in Georgia. Spend time with Chef Toussaint in the kitchen as he uses vanilla, nutmeg, cinnamon, basil, curry powder, ginger, and a bunch of natural spices. Eggs, butter, milk, cheese, onions, parsley, garlic, and mushrooms fill the shelves in his refrigerator. Chef Toussaint is a great family book complete with recipes and a message for parents in the back of the book.
Soul Food Sunday by Winsome Bingham (Author), Charles G. Esperanza (illustrator)
Granny teaches her grandson to cook the family meal in this loving celebration of food, traditions, and gathering together at the table. The story is a warm celebration of tradition and coming together at a table filled with love and delicious food.
On Sundays, everyone gathers at Granny’s for Soul Food.
But today, I don’t go to the backyard or the great room.
I follow Granny instead.
“You’re a big boy now,” Granny says. “Time for you to learn.”
Soulful Holidays: An inclusive rhyming story celebrating the joys of Christmas and Kwanzaa by Ciara L Hill (Author), Christian Krabbe (Illustrator)
An inclusive rhyming story celebrating the joys of Christmas and Kwanzaa!
Cozy up together with this charmingly illustrated family book told in easy-to-read memorable rhymes. Through this heartwarming tale, children and families all over the world can experience the magic of Christmas and the true essence of Kwanzaa. Read about the food, songs, cultural decorations, and more! The catchy couplets in this dazzling picture book will delight readers with the inclusive traditions of families who honor one or both of these incredible holidays.
Pies From Nowhere looks into the life of Georgia Gilmore, a hidden figure of history who played a critical role in the civil rights movement and used her passion for baking to help the Montgomery Bus Boycott achieve its goal.
Georgia Gilmore was a cook at the National Lunch Company in Montgomery, Alabama. When the bus boycotts broke out in Montgomery after Rosa Parks was arrested, Georgia knew just what to do. She organized a group of women who cooked and baked to fund-raise for gas and cars to help sustain the boycott. Called the Club from Nowhere, Georgia was the only person who knew who baked and bought the food, and she said the money came from "nowhere" to anyone who asked. This picture book highlights a hidden figure of the civil rights movement who fueled the bus boycotts and demonstrated that one person can make a real change in her community and beyond. It also includes one of her delicious recipes for kids to try with the help of their parents!
Waffles + Mochi: Get Cooking!: Learn to Cook Tomato Candy Pasta, Gratitouille, and Other Tasty Recipes: A Kids Cookbook by Yewande Komolafe (Author), Michelle Obama (Foreword)
Explore the globe with Waffles + Mochi and learn about the stories behind the food we eat in this accessible, child-friendly cookbook, based on the Netflix children’s show from Higher Ground, President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama’s production company in partnership with Netflix.
Each chapter begins with a simple recipe to master—like creating magical salts to dust over your dishes, boiling eggs four ways, and baking a potato that’s anything but ordinary. Then the recipes build from there. Before you know it, you’ll be whipping up Tenacious Tomato Salad, Chicken Sancocho, Kimchi Grilled Cheese, and Cloud Meringues. Enjoy this international adventure with food.
Long before the natural-food movement gained popularity, Edna Lewis championed purity of ingredients, regional cuisine, and farm-to-table eating. She was a chef when female chefs—let alone African American female chefs—were few and far between. With lyrical text and watercolor illustrations, Robbin Gourley traces the roots of Edna's appreciation for the bounties of nature through the seasons. Folk rhymes, and songs about food are sprinkled throughout the text, and five kid-friendly recipes and an author's note about Edna's life are included.
Sally is a young girl living in rural Alabama in the early 1900s, a time when people were struggling to grow food in soil that had been depleted by years of cotton production. One day, Dr. George Washington Carver shows up to help the grown-ups with their farms, and the children with their school garden. He teaches them how to restore the soil and respect the balance of nature. He even prepares a delicious lunch made of plants, including “chicken” made from peanuts. And Sally never forgets the lessons this wise man leaves in her heart and mind. Susan Grigsby’s warm story shines new light on a Black scientist who was ahead of his time.
Harlem Grown: How One Big Idea Transformed a Neighborhood by Tony Hillery (Author), Jessie Hartland (Illustrator)
Harlem Grown tells the inspiring true story of how one man made a big difference in a neighborhood. After seeing how restless they were and their lack of healthy food options, Tony Hillery invited students from an underfunded school to turn a vacant lot into a beautiful and functional farm. By getting their hands dirty, these kids turned an abandoned space into something beautiful and useful while learning about healthy, sustainable eating and collaboration.
When Carter volunteers at the food bank for the first time, she runs into one of her friends from school and hunger takes on a personal note. After reading a book on how she can help fight against hunger, Carter goes on a journey through her community to do what she can and teach others how they can help, too!
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