July's Book of the Month--Fry Bread

July’s Book of the Month is FRY BREAD: A Native American Family Story, written by Kevin Noble Maillard, and illustrated by Juana Martinez-Neal. Every time I read it, I’m struck by the tremendous volume of material that lives in this rich, uncluttered picture book.

The main text is a poem. The first line of each stanza is boldly displayed, and the words that follow briefly elaborate with sensory details. Sight, sound, smell, motion, emotion, all are employed. Important concepts are taken on with grace and age-appropriate simplicity: “Fry bread is color” is followed by "Golden brown, tan, or yellow/Deep like coffee, sienna, or earth/Light like snow and cream/Warm like rays of the sun.” The words are accompanied by illustrations of children representing all these beautiful colors. Martinez-Neal’s acrylic, colored pencil, and graphite illustrations beautifully handle both the literal and more esoteric ideas portrayed within these pages.

"Fry bread is time...Fry bread is art…Fry bread is history…” Following the poem, the author’s back matter cleverly uses these opening sentences as headings to delve more deeply. In fact, Maillard likens the story of this ubiquitous treat to “the story of American Indians.” The depth of feeling the creative team achieves, and the wealth of information, in this personal, yet universal, story is staggering. This is one book for all to treasure! There’s even a fairly simple and tasty-looking recipe for fry bread :—)

--Lynn