IN MY MOMMA'S KITCHEN

PLB 0-688-12761-4 These brief episodes from a mother’s kitchen showcase Nolen’s enticing prose and her inclusive world. A young African-American girl narrates a handful of stories that broadcast harmony, affection, the timelessness of childhood, the memories of those no longer children, and a penchant for hope and good fortune. These are tales plucked from the everyday: her mother’s sisters gathering for their weekly gabfest and soup production (“Even the African violets are blooming, just like my aunts”), the wedding arranged for the cat and the doll, her father whipping up his inedible corn pudding (“Watching Daddy make the corn pudding is a lot better than actually eating it”), the blessings of cooking in Momma’s mother’s old stove, the announcement of her sister’s scholarship. Although these events could have filled out a short-story collection, Nolen keeps her narration trim, relaying the incidents in an eager, celebratory voice. Bootman fills his handsome illustrations with smiles all around; this is a happy place and no one will deny its obvious joy. (Picture book. 5-8)