Granny's Kitchen: A Jamaican Story of Food and Family

by Sadé Smith (Author) Ken Daley (Illustrator)

Reading Level: 2nd − 3rd Grade

Accompanied by Ken Daley's vibrant, sun-soaked artwork, Sadé Smith's debut picture book Granny's Kitchen is the perfect read-aloud for budding chefs everywhere.

Shelly-Ann lives with her Granny on the beautiful island of Jamaica. When Shelly-Ann becomes hungry, she asks her Granny for something to eat. Granny tells her "Gyal, you betta can cook!" and teaches Shelly-Ann how to get in touch with her Jamaican roots through the process of cooking.

As Shelly-Ann tries each recipe, everything goes wrong. But when Granny is too tired to cook one morning, Shelly-Ann will have to find the courage to try one more time and prepare the perfect Jamaican breakfast.

Praise for Granny's Kitchen: "Warm and inviting. Daley's vibrant, highly saturated illustrations bolster the appeal and are sure to entice young readers--and perhaps encourage them to try their own hand in the kitchen." - Kirkus Reviews

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Hardcover
$18.99

Kirkus

Warm and inviting. Daley's vibrant, highly saturated illustrations bolster the appeal and are sure to entice young readers--and perhaps encourage them to try their own hand in the kitchen...A vibrant, upbeat story of a determined girl and her love of food.

ALA/Booklist

Daley transports readers to Smith's clearly cherished Jamaica with joyous Photoshop illustrations that suit the setting wonderfully in a vibrant tropical palette with bold pops of turquoise and fuchsia. This multigenerational homage to home cooking and heritage cuisine serves up a sweet message of confidence-building and can-do assurance.

Review quotes

Praise for Granny's Kitchen:

Delivers the honesty, giggles, and punch ... Daley's digital illustrations, in eye popping hues of juicy fruit and turquoise sea, convey the easy give-and-take of the close-knit pair, with snazzy-spectacled Granny patiently cheerleading her determined but frustrated granddaughter through some rough culinary challenges. Shelly-Ann's four recipes are included for foodie families to try together, and a page of fun facts on Jamaica are a bonus for armchair travelers. —Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books (BCCB)

Sadé Smith

Sadé Smith is a Canadian children's book author of Jamaican descent. Her books often involve food with colorful illustrations to capture the vibrancy and beauty of the Caribbean islands. In addition to writing, Sadé is also a design technologist who loves the beach and enjoys fruits. She is very passionate about literature and she writes books of representation for young readers. She is the author of Granny's Kitchen and Julie and the Mango Tree.

Sayada Ramdial is a freelance illustrator from Trinidad & Tobago, who's now living and working in Oregon. Her passion for art started early, and was given direction when she attended the Savannah College of Art and Design, where she majored in Illustration, minored in Drawing, and graduated with honors. When she's not experimenting at the drawing board or in the kitchen, she enjoys exploring nature and meeting friendly, furry pets. She is the illustrator of Julie and the Mango Tree.

Classification
Fiction
ISBN-13
9781250806338
Lexile Measure
-
Guided Reading Level
-
Publisher
N/A
Publication date
July 12, 2022
Series
-
BISAC categories
JUV013030 - Juvenile Fiction | Family | Multigenerational
JUV039140 - Juvenile Fiction | Social Themes | Self-Esteem & Self-Reliance
JUV050000 - Juvenile Fiction | Cooking & Food
JUV030040 - Juvenile Fiction | People & Places | Caribbean & Latin America
Library of Congress categories
Grandmothers
Picture books
Grandparent and child
Cooking
Jamaica
Cooking, Jamaican

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