Granny's Kitchen - by Sadé Smith (Hardcover)

About the Book

Book Synopsis

Accompanied by Ken Daley's vibrant, sun-soaked artwork, Sadé Smith's debut picture book Granny's Kitchen is the perfect readaloud for budding chefs everywhere.

Shelly-Ann lives with her Granny on the beautiful island of Jamaica. When Shelly-Ann becomes hungry, she asks her Granny for something to eat. Granny tells her "Gyal, you betta can cook!" and teaches Shelly-Ann how to get in touch with her Jamaican roots through the process of cooking.

As Shelly-Ann tries each recipe, everything goes wrong. But when Granny is too tired to cook one morning, Shelly-Ann will have to find the courage to try one more time and prepare the perfect Jamaican breakfast.

Praise for Granny's Kitchen:

"Warm and inviting. Daley's vibrant, highly saturated illustrations bolster the appeal and are sure to entice young readers--and perhaps encourage them to try their own hand in the kitchen. ... A vibrant, upbeat story of a determined girl and her love of food." --Kirkus Reviews

Review Quotes

Praise for Granny's Kitchen:

A 2023 Blue Spruce Award Nominee

"Daley transports readers to Smith's clearly cherished Jamaica with joyous Photoshop illustrations that suit the setting wonderfully in a vibrant tropical palette with bold pops of turquoise and fuchsia. This multigenerational homage to home cooking and heritage cuisine serves up a sweet message of confidence-building and can-do assurance." --Booklist

"Delivers the honesty, giggles, and punch ... Daley's digital illustrations, in eye popping hues of juicy fruit and turquoise sea, convey the easy give-and-take of the close-knit pair, with snazzy-spectacled Granny patiently cheerleading her determined but frustrated granddaughter through some rough culinary challenges. Shelly-Ann's four recipes are included for foodie families to try together, and a page of fun facts on Jamaica are a bonus for armchair travelers." --Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books (BCCB)

"A rumbling tummy leads to intergenerational cooking lessons--and a message to keep trying--in this mouth-watering picture book. ... Daly's candy-colored, sun-dappled digital illustrations, which portray the characters with brown skin, vividly visualize the call-and-response text. Recipes and facts about Jamaica conclude." --Publishers Weekly

"Warm and inviting. Daley's vibrant, highly saturated illustrations bolster the appeal and are sure to entice young readers--and perhaps encourage them to try their own hand in the kitchen. ... A vibrant, upbeat story of a determined girl and her love of food." --Kirkus Reviews

"Structural repetition and the less-than-flawless outcomes undergird the text's message that sustained effort and intention trump perfection. Vibrant illustrations bubble with the warm colors of rural Jamaica." --The Horn Book

About the Author

Born in Toronto, Ontario, Sadé Smith is a Canadian children's book author of Jamaican descent. She loves to write stories that will allow your imagination to take you away. Her books often involve food and recipes for readers to enjoy along with vibrant illustrations to capture the colors of the Caribbean islands. In addition to writing, she is also a designer/technologist who practices the skilled trades and home renovations. She can swing a hammer as well as she can swing a pen. Granny's Kitchen is her debut.

Ken Daley is the prize-winning illustrator of Granny's Kitchen by Sadé Smith, Joseph's Big Ride by Terry Farish--an Ontario Library Association Best Bet--and Auntie Luce's Talking Paintings by Francie Latour. Ken was born in Canada to parents who emigrated from Dominica. His art and illustrations are inspired by his African-Caribbean roots and he has exhibited his work in Canada, the U.S. and the Caribbean. His artwork can be found in numerous private and public collections.