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PS
Illustrated by
Juana Martinez-Neal.
More than just food, "Fry bread is time...Fry bread is art...Fry bread is history." An intergenerational group of Native American friends and family makes fry bread, a common Native food staple as varied as the people who make it; this diversity is reflected in Martinez-Neal's warmhearted illustrations. Back matter explains how fry bread became a part of many Native Americans' diet after being forced from their land and given limited U.S. government rations. Recipe appended. Bib.
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K-3
Illustrated by
Maria Mola.
Youngest child Lila tries to help her koala family prepare for Shabbat, but she keeps making a mess. Finally, she offers to make the challah; she practices all week, and after several failed attempts, Lila bakes a delicious challah with a special koala-perfect ingredient: eucalyptus. Gehl's story offers a unique perspective on a weekly ritual, and Mola's textured illustrations reinforce the warm, supportive family environment.
(3)
K-3
Who Made My Lunch? series.
Illustrated by
Stephanie Fizer Coleman.
In each book, a child prepares to eat something but first learns how the food is produced by being transported to various places involved. The second-person texts cover countries of origin, growing and harvesting conditions, and processing details. Simple, engaging illustrations featuring a diverse cast of kids will appeal to young readers. Reading list, websites. Glos. Review covers these Who Made My Lunch? titles: From Cocoa Beans to Chocolate, From Grapes to Jelly, From Milk to Cheese, From Milk to Ice Cream, From Peanuts to Peanut Butter, and From Wheat to Bread.
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K-3
Illustrated by
Jim Starr.
Jewish giant Samson bakes an enormous challah for Rosh Hashanah and in the process creates some U.S. landmarks (e.g., his mixing bowl is the freshly dug Grand Canyon). "Big Sam" also repairs some natural environments he damaged while baking (after all, the Jewish New Year is about "mending the world") before celebrating with figures from American folklore. Lush paintings illustrate this entertaining if overtly instructive holiday tall tale.
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K-3
Illustrated by
Beth Bogert.
Three goblins torment a town by tangling children's hair. The children, all with challah-related punny names (e.g., Franklin Frenchtoast, Dana Dipitinsoup), work together to trick the goblins and trap them in twisted dough, creating the challah. An author's note discusses challah's connection to Jewish traditions, something the twee narrative doesn't make clear. The pastel-toned illustrations give the story a dreamy, folktale-like look.
40 pp.
| Disney/Hyperion
| October, 2016
|
TradeISBN 978-1-4847-2286-2$17.99
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K-3
Young frog Nanette's mother entrusts her daughter with the responsibility of purchasing a baguette at the bakery. However, Nanette loses all willpower and eats it whole before reaching home. Alongside digitally rendered characters placed in a meticulously designed and photographed paper-crafted setting, Willems's playful text positively revels in assonant wordplay; his punch line reveals where Nanette has acquired her weakness for baguettes.
32 pp.
| Candlewick
| April, 2013
|
TradeISBN 978-0-7636-6311-7$15.99
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PS
Illustrated by
Bruce Ingman.
This book's narrator recounts a loaf of bread's (shelf)life. After the baker's family has its fill, neighborhood animals are treated to slices and/or crumbs, with a cheery refrain adapted for each species: "HOORAY--QUACK, QUACK--FOR BREAD!" The rhyming text doesn't quite rise to the occasion, but the pen and watercolor illustrations in subdued colors are satisfying as a good slice of bread.
(4)
K-3
Illustrated by
Kate Slater.
This classic tale usually ends with a comeuppance: the lazy animals get not a morsel of food because they didn't help the hen make the bread. In this retelling, they're given a second chance, and at book's end everyone is noshing. The writing is bland, but the collage art gives the familiar scenes dimension and depth. A bread recipe is appended.
24 pp.
| Tricycle
| August, 2009
|
TradeISBN 978-1-58246-294-3$12.99
(3)
K-3
Illustrated by
Proiti Roy.
While preparing chapatis (Indian flat bread) with his mother, a young boy plays with the dough: a long rope becomes a snake; a patted-down ball, a mouse. But how will he prevent the animals from actually coming alive? Mom has the solution: "Roll it up, quick, quick!" Warm-toned illustrations keep attention centered squarely on mother and son. A recipe is included.
32 pp.
| Hachai
| September, 2006
|
TradeISBN 1-929628-23-4$11.95
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K-3
Illustrated by
Vitaliy Romanenko.
Mindy shares her challah-baking preparations, beginning with a call to Bubby and ending with serving her challahs for a traditional Shabbat meal. The forced poetic style and fairly dull illustrations detract from an otherwise entertaining story. A challah recipe is included. Glos.
32 pp.
| Kids Can
| March, 2004
|
TradeISBN 1-55337-461-4$$14.95
(3)
K-3
Walking home from the bakery with a long, thin baguette, Monsieur Saguette calmly uses his bread to perform a number of rescues, such as stopping a robbery and saving a baby from an alligator. Repetition adds humor to the description of his dramatic escapades. Asch evokes the story's Parisian setting with pale colors and a fine black line.
32 pp.
| Tricycle
| September, 2004
|
TradeISBN 1-58246-114-7$15.95
(3)
K-3
Photographs by
Shmuel Thaler.
Like the anonymous orange-gloved hands in Pumpkin Circle, here white gloves grow, thresh, and grind the wheat, then mix, knead, and bake it into bread. A clean design and vibrant color photos that accompany the simple rhyming text make this a hearty look at the staff of life. An afterword includes a recipe and explains more about wheat and the baking process.
32 pp.
| Candlewick
| May, 2004
|
TradeISBN 0-7636-1817-9$$16.99
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PS
Illustrated by
Holly Meade.
The blue bowl is the centerpiece of a mother-toddler bread-making team. Standing on a stool, the child helps sift flour and knead before he is off to bed and the dough is set to rise. The lullaby-like text sings with repeated phrases and words. The large format and type complement Meade's distinctive collages full of warm, homey details.