Food and Culture
Mango Memories By Sita Singh; illustrated by Nabi H. Ali
Here is a completely captivating picture book that celebrates family, tradition...and mangoes!
Every summer, the branches of a little girl's favorite tree droops heavy with mangoes. And this year, she is finally old enough to help her family harvest them.
Her brother shares a memory about his first time mango picking: his father holding him steady as he reached high above for the fruit. But when the girl climbs the tree, she becomes too dizzy. Then her grandma shares a mango memory: learning, many years ago, to toss a stone that knocked the fruit from the branches. But when the girl throws her stone, she keeps missing.
How can this little heroine create her own mango memory if she can't even pick a mango?
Narrated by a determined young Indian child, and set in a lush mango grove, here is a picture book that honors generational traditions and beautifully introduces young readers to a culture with which they may not be familiar.
The Spice Box By Meera Sriram; illustrated by Sandhya Prabhat
A father and son share family stories through a spice box, handed down from generation to generation, in this tender picturebook.
Rishi's grandma arrives from India today, and he longs to cook curry alongside his Dad using the delicious flavors from his family's spice box. But this spice box is more than just fragrant spices in shades of gold and ruby. This spice box holds memories that are passed down from one generation to the next, as each found their place in this wide world. When Rishi drops the box that holds the family's heart and history, he draws courage and meaning from their treasured past to set things right.
Isabel in Bloom By Mae Respicio
A girl discovers a connection between her home in the Philippines and her new home in the U.S. through a special garden in this middle grade novel that celebrates nourishment and growth.
Twelve-year-old Isabel is the new kid in her San Francisco middle school. It’s the first time in many years that she’ll be living with her mother again. Mama's job in the US allowed Isabel and her grandparents to live more comfortably in the Philippines, but now Isabel doesn't really know her own mother anymore.
Making new friends in a new city, a new country, is hard, but joining the gardening and cooking club at school means Isabel will begin to find her way, and maybe she too, will begin to bloom.
In this beautifully rendered novel-in-verse, Mae Respicio explores how growth can take many forms, offering both the challenges and joy of new beginnings.
The Last Stand By Antwan Eady; illustrated by Jerome & Jarrett Pumphrey
The author of Nigel and the Moon, delivers a tender intergenerational story inspired by his childhood in the rural south. Here's a farm stand that represents the importance of family, community, and hope.
Every stand has a story.
This one is mine.
Saturday is for harvesting. And one little boy is excited to work alongside his Papa as they collect eggs, plums, peppers and pumpkins to sell at their stand in the farmer's market. Of course, it's more than a farmer's market. Papa knows each customer's order, from Ms. Rosa's pumpkins to Mr. Johnny's peppers. And when Papa can't make it to the stand, his community gathers around him, with dishes made of his own produce.
Heartwarming illustrations complement the lyrical text in this poignant picture book that reveals a family's pride in their work, and reminds us to harvest love and hope from those around us.
