Bring me some apples and I'll make you a pie: a story about Edna Lewis

Edna Lewis, the granddaughter of an emancipated slave who founded Freetown, Virginia, grew up to become a famous chef of southern cuisine. Inspired by Lewis' childhood, this debut children's book by an artist and cookbook author celebrates the growing seasons and the irreplaceable pleasure of fresh food shared with family. From spring's wild strawberries to deep summer's tangy tomatoes and fall's harvest of nuts, each season brings a new delight on the Lewis family farm, and while young Edna helps harvest the crops, she dreams about what to make with each tantalizing new ingredient: strawberry shortcake, watermelon pickles, nut-butter cookies. Gourley's colloquial words evoke the rhythms of southern speech, while frequent rhymes, spoken in the multiple voices of family members, increase the folksy flavor. Watercolors in bright, juicy colors echo the story's themes of abundance in lush scenes of the fresh fruits and vegetables, the well-stocked pantry, and the African American family working and then dining together. A final biographical section about Lewis includes several southern, kid-friendly recipes.--Engberg, Gillian Copyright 2009 Booklist

In her children's book debut, cookbook author/illustrator Gourley (Cakewalk) celebrates food, as cultivated on a farm and as used to cultivate family bonds. Recounting African-American chef Edna Lewis's childhood in a Virginia farming community, the cheery watercolor spreads follow Edna and various relatives ("Sister," "Daddy," "Auntie") from spring to first snow as they harvest strawberries, dandelion greens, peaches, pecans and more. Edna appreciates each crop, as well as the honey-gathering: "A swarm of bees in May is worth a load of hay./ A swarm of bees in June is worth a silver spoon./ A swarm of bees in July is not worth a fly," she recites; similar folk sayings or songs accompany mention of each new food, proof of its centrality to the characters' happiness. Dynamic paintings, increasingly lush as summer intensifies, add vigor. Children whose experience of food supply is limited to grocery stores, school cafeterias and other eateries will relish this nostalgic view. A short biography of the late Lewis concludes the narrative, and five mouth-watering recipes for Southern staples are welcome extras. Ages 4-8. (Jan.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved

Gr 1-3-Edna Lewis was an African-American chef in New York City when neither women nor African Americans were generally in such positions. This story is loosely based on her childhood in rural Virginia where her family lived off the land. It was that upbringing that helped create the celebrated chef who understood the importance of fresh ingredients in her cooking. While young children may not understand about fresh ingredients and a career in cooking, they will enjoy learning about where the food they eat comes from. Gourley follows her character through the growing season, starting in early spring and ending with the autumn frost. The fruits, the berries, and the nuts they pick are all used in the meals the family eats, with the surplus being canned and preserved for the winter months. Gourley's luscious watercolors will have readers salivating as the berries plunk into pails and peach juice drips down chins. The story itself does run a little long for young listeners but the short ditties the children sing about what they are picking help to liven it up. Pair this title with Donald Hall's Ox-Cart Man (Penguin, 1979) to show children the rhythm of the seasons and a time when we were much more connected to the basics of life.-Joan Kindig, James Madison University, Harrisonburg, VA (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Food writer Gourley peppers her text with American folk sayings and delicious descriptions in this fictionalized story about African American chef Edna Lewis, a pioneer of using local ingredients and traditional recipes. The lively watercolor illustrations show young Edna and her family harvesting strawberries, blackberries, peaches, and more throughout the year. Five recipes and an author's note are included. (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. All rights reserved.

"Time to get up!" says little Edna Lewis one early-spring morning, "I hear the whippoorwill. That means it's gathering time." So begins this celebration of one family's year of harvesting local foods, all lovingly described in a homespun present tense. In springtime, greens and sassafras root; ripening cherries, wild blackberries and peaches (and much more) follow in summer. When school begins, there are applesfor apple butter, cider, applesauce, crisp and pies! Edna's childhood was preparation for her career as an accomplished chef and author of four cookbooks. Truly ahead of her time, she believed in preparing food that came directly from the fields, fresh and delicious. Interspersed throughout the text are folk sayings and African-American rhymes. Gourley's sunny, bright watercolors depict the family gathering food and enjoying it at table and in the fresh air. An author's note describes Lewis's career and includes a bibliography of her cookbooks followed by five recipes. A mouthwatering morsel that should come with the warning to eat before reading! (Picture book. 6-9) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Edna Lewis, the granddaughter of an emancipated slave who founded Freetown, Virginia, grew up to become a famous chef of southern cuisine. Inspired by Lewis childhood, this debut children s book by an artist and cookbook author celebrates the growing seasons and the irreplaceable pleasure of fresh food shared with family. From spring s wild strawberries to deep summer s tangy tomatoes and fall s harvest of nuts, each season brings a new delight on the Lewis family farm, and while young Edna helps harvest the crops, she dreams about what to make with each tantalizing new ingredient: strawberry shortcake, watermelon pickles, nut-butter cookies. Gourley s colloquial words evoke the rhythms of southern speech, while frequent rhymes, spoken in the multiple voices of family members, increase the folksy flavor. Watercolors in bright, juicy colors echo the story s themes of abundance in lush scenes of the fresh fruits and vegetables, the well-stocked pantry, and the African American family working and then dining together. A final biographical section about Lewis includes several southern, kid-friendly recipes. Copyright 2009 Booklist Reviews.

In her children's book debut, cookbook author/illustrator Gourley (Cakewalk) celebrates food, as cultivated on a farm and as used to cultivate family bonds. Recounting African-American chef Edna Lewis's childhood in a Virginia farming community, the cheery watercolor spreads follow Edna and various relatives ("Sister," "Daddy," "Auntie") from spring to first snow as they harvest strawberries, dandelion greens, peaches, pecans and more. Edna appreciates each crop, as well as the honey-gathering: "A swarm of bees in May is worth a load of hay./ A swarm of bees in June is worth a silver spoon./ A swarm of bees in July is not worth a fly," she recites; similar folk sayings or songs accompany mention of each new food, proof of its centrality to the characters' happiness. Dynamic paintings, increasingly lush as summer intensifies, add vigor. Children whose experience of food supply is limited to grocery stores, school cafeterias and other eateries will relish this nostalgic view. A short biography of the late Lewis concludes the narrative, and five mouth-watering recipes for Southern staples are welcome extras. Ages 4–8. (Jan.)

Gr 1–3—Edna Lewis was an African-American chef in New York City when neither women nor African Americans were generally in such positions. This story is loosely based on her childhood in rural Virginia where her family lived off the land. It was that upbringing that helped create the celebrated chef who understood the importance of fresh ingredients in her cooking. While young children may not understand about fresh ingredients and a career in cooking, they will enjoy learning about where the food they eat comes from. Gourley follows her character through the growing season, starting in early spring and ending with the autumn frost. The fruits, the berries, and the nuts they pick are all used in the meals the family eats, with the surplus being canned and preserved for the winter months. Gourley's luscious watercolors will have readers salivating as the berries plunk into pails and peach juice drips down chins. The story itself does run a little long for young listeners but the short ditties the children sing about what they are picking help to liven it up. Pair this title with Donald Hall's Ox-Cart Man (Penguin, 1979) to show children the rhythm of the seasons and a time when we were much more connected to the basics of life.—Joan Kindig, James Madison University, Harrisonburg, VA