REVIEW OF FRY BREAD: A NATIVE AMERICAN FAMILY STORY

 

A. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Maillard, Kevin N. 2019. Illustrated by Juana Martinez-Neal. FRY BREAD: A NATIVE AMERICAN FAMILY STORY. New York City, NY: Roaring Brook Press, a division of Holtzbrinck Publishing Holdings Limited Partnership. ISBN 9781626727465.

 


B. PLOT SUMMARY
Fry bread connects the Native American community in a variety of ways: as food; time together as family and friends; art; history; geography; nations and tribes; and as generations stretching from the eldest to the youngest.

 

C. CRITICAL ANALYSIS (INCLUDING CULTURAL MARKERS)
The author explains how fry bread connects the Native American community. The author shows fry bread’s connections within the scope of Native American families and communities. The author starts the book with descriptions of how one’s senses process the various aspects of fry bread: its creation from raw ingredients to the shapes, textures, sounds, colors, and flavors.

The author describes how fry bread ties into activities and time that Native Americans spend together, including powwows and festivals. The book also discusses and shows beautiful illustrations of Native American crafts such handmade coil baskets and dolls. (These handmade baskets and dolls trace their history back to the Seminole Tribe of Florida and the Seminole Nation of Oklahoma, as explained in the extremely informative “Author’s Note” section at the back of the book.) The author doesn’t shy away from the darker parts of Native American history. During the narrative, she mentions “stolen land” and the “long walk”. These sad truths are important additions to this children’s book. (The “Author’s Note” at the back of the book provides excellent historical references regarding this, including the Indian Removal Act of 1830 which resulted in the “Trail of Tears”.)

Something that is not taught very much in schools is the extensive network of tribes and nations across the Americas, from the northern extents of North America to the southern tip of South America. The author mentions some of the many U.S. states which have been home to Native Americans throughout history, as well as some of the many nations and tribes that have existed, and still exist to this day. The alphabetical listing of Native American villages, tribes, and nations across the Americas on the inside of the front and back covers gives some perspective on how extensive the Native Americans had settled the Americas from prehistory through modern times.  

The illustrations add to the connections between fry bread and Native American culture, as well as to other cultures. There is also great examples shown of many different features possible in Native American people. Marriages between Native Americans and people of other cultures have produced every possible skin tone and hair type. This book is a wonderful way to show the variety and heterogeneous characteristics of Native Americans in today’s society.

The author includes a recipe for fry bread along with detailed directions for how to make and cook it. The “Author’s Note” at the end of the book is a wealth of information about the Native American culture in general, and the story & illustrations in the book. For instance, the author discusses Native American aspects within the book illustrations such as the tattoos, ceramic pots, and handmade baskets and dolls.

The research that went into this book, and the citations provided reflect the diligence of the author and illustrator. So often picture books are works of the imagination, which is fine. However, this picture book combines not only the author’s and illustrator’s creativity, but also includes scholarship done by them to ensure the best possible experience for the reader. The reference and notes on the last page of the book are great resources for anyone to look further into the stories behind the story.

Finally, for those readers with access to the Internet, I recommend looking into an app called Novel Effect. It provides sound effects that go with selected picture books. I was first introduced to this app when, during my library internship, my supervising librarian shared this app with me as we read this book, Fry Bread, to our littles during Native American history month. I’ll never forget how the sound effects of frying pan sizzling and popping reinforced the passage from the book that we read to our elementary school students. Please look into this excellent resource at https://noveleffect.com/.     

 

D. AWARDS AND REVIEW EXCERPTS

Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Medal Winner (2020)

American Indian Youth Literature Picture Book Honor Winner (2020)

 

School Library Journal: Starred Review - “This warm and charming book shows and affirms Native lives. The informational text and expressive drawings give it broad appeal.”

Booklist: Starred Review - “Fry Bread celebrates the thing itself and much, much more . . . Maillard and Martinez-Neal bring depth, detail, and whimsy to this Native American food story, with text and illustrations depicting the diversity of indigenous peoples, the role of continuity between generations, and the adaptation over time of people, place, and tradition.” 

Horn Book: “This affectionate picture book depicts an intergenerational group of Native American family members and friends as they make fry bread together. The text begins: “Fry bread is food / Flour, salt, water / Cornmeal, baking powder / perhaps milk, maybe sugar.” On subsequent pages we learn that “Fry bread is shape…sound…color,” etc.; and through the refrain “Fry bread is…” readers learn that the food staple, although common to many Native American homes, is as varied as the people who make it and the places where it is made. This diversity, too, is reflected in Martinez-Neal’s warmhearted acrylic, colored-pencil, and graphite illustrations, on hand-textured paper, in which the characters within Native American communities have varying skin tones and hair texture. More than just food, “Fry bread is time…Fry bread is art…Fry bread is history.” In the extensive, informative back matter, Maillard (a member of the Seminole Nation, Mekusukey band) explains how fry bread became a part of many Native Americans’ diet after the people were forced from their land and given limited rations by the United States government. The book’s endpapers powerfully list the names of Indigenous communities and nations currently within the U.S., some federally recognized, others not. Regardless of “official” status—as the book declares—“We are still here.” Reference list and notes—plus a recipe—are appended.”

Kirkus: Starred Review - “With buoyant, heartfelt illustrations that show the diversity in Native America, the book tells the story of a post-colonial food, a shared tradition across the North American continent . . . Through this topic that includes the diversity of so many Native peoples in a single story, Maillard (Mekusukey Seminole) promotes unity and familiarity among nations. Fry bread is much more than food, as this book amply demonstrates.”


E. CONNECTIONS
By using connections with a Native American staple food, this story helps the reader learn about Native American culture and history.

Here are more children’s picture books about Native American history and culture:

Sorell, Traci. WE ARE GRATEFUL. ISBN 978-1580897723.

Sorell, Traci. WE ARE STILL HERE. ISBN 978-1623541927.  

Sorell, Traci. AT THE MOUNTAIN’S BASE. ISBN 978-0735230606.

Goade, Michaela. BERRY SONG. ISBN 978-0316494175.

Lindstrom, Carole. WE ARE WATER PROTECTORS. ISBN 978-1250203557.

Harjo, Joy. REMEMBER. ISBN 978-0593484845.

Prince, Leona. BE A GOOD ANCESTOR. ISBN 978-1459831407.

Smith, Monique G. I HOPE. ISBN 978-1459825932.

Smith, Monique G. BOWWOW POWWOW. ISBN 978-1580899482.

Smith, Cynthia L. JINGLE DANCER. ISBN 978-0063018112. 

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