Granny's Kitchen

June 1, 2022
A young girl learns to cook from her grandmother. Shelly-Ann lives in Jamaica with her grandmother, who is a wonderful cook. Shelly-Ann decides she wants to try her hand at making meals--from dumplins to ackee to saltfish to plantains--and asks her grandmother for help. To her dismay, Shelly-Ann's attempts at each dish are disappointing: "I can't cook!" she cries each time. But her grandmother reassures her, "You will get it right next time." Shelly-Ann continues to cook, but finally, her confidence shaken, she decides to give up. However, one morning when her grandmother is too tired to cook, Shelly-Ann decides to try again. This story is 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. Recipes for each of the dishes mentioned can be found at the end of the book along with fun facts about Jamaica. (This book was reviewed digitally.) A vibrant, upbeat story of a determined girl and her love of food. (Picture book. 4-8)

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July 1, 2022
Preschool-Grade 2 Hungry after work and play, Shelly-Ann asks her beloved grandmother to teach her how to make some of Shelly-Ann's favorite dishes. Each time, Granny replies with an enormous smile and a rousing, "GYAL, YOU BETTA CAN COOK!" They attempt four dishes--fluffy dumplings, ackee, herb-laced salt fish, and mouth-watering plantain slices that "popped and sizzled in the oil"--but each time, Shelly-Ann's cooking is inedible. Granny consoles the frustrated child with a recipe book and affirmation: "If you try and don't succeed, try, try, and try again." Shelly-Ann does. One morning when Granny would rather sleep than get up and cook, Shelly-Ann successfully prepares a proud feast and serves Granny breakfast in bed. Daley (Aunt Luce's Talking Paintings, 2018) 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.

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October 31, 2022
A rumbling tummy leads to intergenerational cooking lessons—and a message to keep trying—in this mouth-watering picture book. Stored in Granny’s cupboards and dangling from mango and ackee trees outside the house, good food surrounds Shelly-Ann, a girl living on the island of Jamaica, where, Smith writes, “the sun is always shining and the weather is sweet.” When hunger drives the child to ask for something to eat, Granny answers, “GYAL, YOU BETTA CAN COOK!” and teaches the child to make family favorites, both from memory and from recipe cards. Despite burning her first attempt at dumplins, cooking ackee that’s too soft, oversalting the saltfish, and making up mushy plantains (“I can’t cook!” she cries each time), Shelly-Ann keeps at it, internalizing perseverance alongside elements of cuisine, culture, and family. Daly’s candy-colored, sun-dappled digital illustrations, which portray the characters with brown skin, vividly visualize the call-and-response text. Recipes and facts about Jamaica conclude. Ages 3–6.