“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 apples—for 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)
