Sweet Potato Pie
In this fictional story set in the South in the 1920s, an African American girl and her family sell Mama's sweet potato pies at the Harvest Celebration to raise money and save their farm.
The summer a great drought sweeps across the county, the only crop Sadie's family is able to save is the sweet potatoes. Money is tight, and if Papa doesn't pay back his loan soon, the bank will take away the farm.
Suddenly Mama comes up with an idea - sweet potato pies! The family can sell her pies at the Harvest Celebration that starts the very next day. There's not much time to get ready, but as Sadie and her brother enlist the cooperation of their old cow, squawking chickens, and half-blind goat, the family rises to the challenge. And in the end it's Sadie who comes up with just the right recipe for success.
Sweet Potato Pie is a delicious affirmation of strong family ties and creative problem solving. This lively story will capture your heart, as well as your taste buds. Loosely based on Lindsey's memories of her great grandmother's stories, the story took shape in Lindsey's mind as she sewed a quilt called "Sweet Potato Pie."
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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, her first book, 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.
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 Locust Grove, Georgia. To find out more about Charlotte Riley-Webb, visit her website: www.charlotterileywebb.com.
"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... This tale is suitable for independent reading or sharing aloud." -- School Library Journal
"First time author Lindsey's down-home storytelling quality is charming and the handmade 'Sweet Potato Pie' quilt recalls Faith Ringgold's use of unique quilt illustrations in 'Dinner at Aunt Connie's House'. Riley-Webb's artwork uses broad, energetic strokes and its strong color palette sweep children into this tasty tale, and the included pie recipe makes the experience complete." -- Booklist
