Sweet Potato Pie

Kathleen D. Lindsey won the New Jersey General Assembly Award for "A Stitch in Time," a performance highlighting the history of African Americans before and after the Civil War. Sweet Potato Pie is loosely based on Lindsey's memories of her great grandmother's stories, and the story took shape in Lindsey's mind as she sewed a quilt called "Sweet Potato Pie." Lindsey and her family live in Clayton, New Jersey. Sweet Potato Pie is her first book.

Charlotte Riley-Webb is a fine artist whose paintings have appeared in more than 25 major exhibitions worldwide. Much of her work focuses on visually documenting her African American heritage, and the significance of music to that heritage can be seen in the rhythm, movement, and colors of her paintings. Rent Party Jazz, a Notable Social Studies Trade Book for Young People, was praised for its lively, colorful, and flowing style by School Library Journal. Riley-Webb and her husband live in Locus

Kindergarten-Grade 4-Sadie, an eight-year-old African-American girl, lives on a farm during the early 1900s. Drought has produced the worst crops ever, but the rain arrives just in time to save the sweet potatoes. When Papa receives a letter from the bank threatening to take the farm unless a loan is repaid, Mama has an idea: the family will make sweet potato pies and sell them at the Harvest Celebration in town. Everyone pitches in to get the wagon ready, gather the ingredients, and do the baking. At the fair, Mama's pies sell like hot cakes, guaranteeing a happy ending. Done in an impressionist style, Riley-Webb's rich acrylic artwork adds greatly to the text. The paintings seem to be moving to the tune of exuberant music; the actions and emotions of the characters are reflected through the use of brush strokes, color, and perspective. Although a bit lengthy, this tale is suitable for independent reading or sharing aloud. Pair it with other stories that celebrate families such as Elizabeth Howard's Aunt Flossie's Hats (and Crab Cakes Later) (Clarion, 1991), Cynthia Rylant's The Relatives Came (Bradbury, 1985), Patricia Polacco's The Keeping Quilt (S & S, 1988), or George Ella Lyon's Come a Tide (Orchard, 1990).
Susan M. Moore, Louisville Free Public Library, KY
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