Soul Food Sunday by Winsome Bingham
A Review By: SS
On Sundays, everyone gathers at Granny’s for soul food.
But today, I don’t go to the backyard or the great room.
I follow Granny instead.
“You’re a big boy now”, Granny says. “Time for you to learn.”
At Granny’s, Sunday isn’t Sunday without a big family gathering over a lovingly prepared meal. Old enough now, our narrator is finally invited to help cook the dishes for the first time: He joins Granny in grating the cheese, cleaning the greens, and priming the meat for Roscoe Ray’s grill. But just when Granny says they’re finished, her grandson makes his own contribution, sweetening this Sunday gathering - and the many more to come.
Evocative and vivid, this mouthwatering story is a warm celebration of tradition and coming together at a table filled with love and delicious food.
Review Notes:
Audio Book Publication Year: 2021
An installment in a Series? Yes
Narrator (s): Winsome Bingham, Sullivan Jones
This book expresses the love and care that is put into preparing a Sunday soul food feast in a Black household. In this story, a young boy is just learning to help his Granny in the kitchen. While working to prepare Sunday dinner for their family, she lovingly shares her tips for preparing soul food dishes with her grandson. The young boy learns that preparing such a meal is a lot of work, but his Granny gently guides him and praises his efforts as they work to make the best mac and cheese, greens, and meats for the grill. The unique bond between these two generations was evident throughout the story. The vibrant illustrations popped from the page and really brought this story to life! I plan to try the macaroni recipe included at the end of the story.
I loved how the story showed the loving relationship between the grandmother and grandson. It was a nice touch to make the main character a young boy learning to cook since often times in our community, boys aren’t encouraged to help in the kitchen. Both narrators did a wonderful job brining the characters to life. Especially with the voice of Granny. Her voice was very soothing as she coached her grandson with the meal preparation.
Reading Recommendation? Yes!
Rating: 4 (It’s lit!)
Content Warnings? None
