This book begins with exclamations of delight:
“I like pizza!
I like pancakes!
I like barbecued and fried and stewed chicken!”
… and onward with a litany of preferred foods that aren’t on most doctors’ lists of “Most Healthy.” Many children can relate to enjoying these treats. His Nana makes them all (well, except for Pop Rocks). The young narrator loves her and their times together, but now she’s sick and unable to eat these favorite foods.
So the boy and his Momma head to the West End in quest of what Nana can eat. Oh, what bounty they find! “Big ol’ green and red wraps stuffed with couscous and this thing like spinach called kale.” Mushroom gravy. Veggie burgers with lots of ketchup. Air-popped fries. Even vegan donuts! A bit suspicious at first, the boy comes around to saying, “There’s yumminess in the West End.” He brings back a feast to Nana, with a new exclamation: “I know you’re going to like these new foods!”
Internationally renowned playwright, performer, lyricist, and educator Will Power guides children through this story in a way that deliciously introduces them to healthy vegan food without any pressure to change, just an invitation to try it out and help older generations discover its wonders, too. He gives children credit for the role models they can be, writing in his Author’s Note, “How do we retain the joys of our culinary heritage while attempting to eat healthier? How do we make more nutritious and eco-friendly meals? Throughout the world, young people are initiating these conversations. They are truly leading the way.”
Illustrator R. Gregory Christie brings bold, bright blocks of color to the story that accentuate the excitement and vibrancy of an Atlanta community. His accolades include a nomination for the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award, a Caldecott Honor, an NAACP Image Award, and six Coretta Scott King Honor Awards.
The book fittingly concludes with a recipe for Mango-Coconut-Lime Ice Pops, courtesy of Chef Bryant Terry. Readers ages four to eight can easily make these with a grown-up’s help and supervision.
