A lighthearted look at the art and soul of a recipe.
Tomato or potato?
When Manhattan chefs had the gall to insert tomatoes into the classic New England clam chowder recipe, Maine politician Cleveland Sleeper took umbrage and action, drafting an attention-getting bill to require that “anyone caught poisoning the chowder cauldron with tomatoes will be forced to dig a barrel of clams at HIGH TIDE.” Colorful, whimsical illustrations and energetic, suspenseful text relate Sleeper’s culinary concerns with drama, humor, and gusto and show how a feud developed. Before the bill could be filed, a Philadelphia restaurateur challenged Sleeper’s personally selected chef to a duel, which resulted in a media frenzy and eventual answer to the question of which soup was really the best. This lighthearted look at local politics, cooking, and loyalty to tradition shows how, in a simpler time, showmanship, economics, and politics merged. (Maine clam chowder was a major tourist attraction, and Iowa, a producer of tomatoes, objected to government interference in cooking.) Though a bit scanty in detail—when this occurred (1939) is not mentioned until the endnotes, for instance—this quirky examination of tradition, food, and law presents a comic taste of state history and provides a background for consideration of media and politics as well as competition and cooking shows. Sleeper and other named characters present White; some people of color appear in illustrations. (This book was reviewed digitally with 10-by-16-inch double-page spreads viewed at 74.3% of actual size.)
A lighthearted look at the art and soul of a recipe. (bibliography) (Informational picture book. 5-9)Pub Date: Oct. 13, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-944762-82-7
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Islandport Press
Review Posted Online: July 13, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2020
Design flaws aside, a thorough and compelling introduction to Pinkerton’s work.
In her second picture book about the Pinkertons (Kate Warne, Pinkerton Detective, 2017), Moss brings to light the agency’s prevention of an early assassination attempt on Abraham Lincoln.
Allan Pinkerton “had sharp eyes, a quick mind, and a hunger for justice.” In 1860, Pinkerton and his detective agency were hired to protect president-elect Lincoln on the train journey to his inauguration. Secessionists were plotting to assassinate Lincoln in Baltimore, before he could reach Washington and become president. Thanks to careful planning and the hard work of many agents (including Kate Warne), Pinkerton was able to safely escort Lincoln to his destination and prevent this early assassination attempt. Moss’ prose is clear and engaging, filled with intriguing details. Pages with images in panels are interspersed with full-page spreads, and Pinkerton himself is frequently shown with a beam of light emanating from his oversized golden-yellow half-moon eyes. With a palette of dusty jewel tones, Holmes’ digitally rendered scratchboard illustrations are bold and intriguing. However, the book’s busy, heavily stylized design frequently dominates the text and hampers the narrative flow, often causing the text and illustrations to feel disjointed. A timeline, artist’s note, author’s note, endnotes, and bibliography are included. Index unseen.
Design flaws aside, a thorough and compelling introduction to Pinkerton’s work. (Informational picture book. 6-9)Pub Date: Nov. 6, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-4197-3064-1
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Abrams
Review Posted Online: Aug. 13, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2018
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Powerful and uplifting; William Lewis should be a household name.
The true story of William “Bill” Lewis, a man born into slavery who wouldn’t rest until his whole family was free.
Bill and his family were enslaved in Tennessee, where they worked long days in Col. Lewis’ fields. Bill was a young boy when Col. Lewis decided to make him a blacksmith, and Bill became very good at it. Col. Lewis rented him out, a common practice, and started letting Bill keep some of the money. Bill saved his coins and decided to ask Col. Lewis to let him rent himself. Col. Lewis agreed, for a large yearly fee. Bill paid the fee and opened his own blacksmith shop, becoming the first African-American blacksmith in Chattanooga. He worked long days and saved his money, with a goal in mind. Over time, he bought his wife’s freedom, and then their son’s, and then, one by one, the rest of his family’s. The text skillfully includes details about laws governing the lives of enslaved people (Bill travels with a white escort; he buys his wife’s freedom first so that their future children will be born free) while keeping readers hooked through every step of Bill’s plan. Rich illustrations help readers imagine life in the 1800s and show the complexity of Bill’s situation. Readers will root for Bill to the utterly satisfying end.
Powerful and uplifting; William Lewis should be a household name. (afterword, sources) (Picture book/biography. 5-9)Pub Date: Sept. 4, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-60060-969-5
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Lee & Low Books
Review Posted Online: July 15, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2018
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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