Black-Eyed Peas and Hoghead Cheese A Story of Food, Family, and Freedom

A little girl helping her grandmother prepare a holiday meal learns about the origins of soul food in this powerful picture book that celebrates African American cuisine and identity from an award-winning author.

Know what I like most about Grandma’s kitchen?
More than jambalaya? More than sweet potato pie? Even more than pralines?
Grandma’s stories! Every meal Grandma cooks comes with a story.
What will today’s story be?

While visiting her grandma in Louisiana, nine-year-old Frances is excited to help prepare the New Year’s Day meal. She listens as Grandma tells stories—dating back to the Atlantic Slave Trade—about the food for their feast. Through these stories, Frances learns not only about the ingredients and the dishes they are making but about her ancestors and their history as well. 
 
A celebration of the stories that connect us, this picture book urges us to think about the foods we eat and why we eat them. This book was inspired by the author's own childhood and includes her family's very own recipe for pralines in the back!

Glenda Armand has had a long career as a teacher and school librarian and enjoys writing picture-book biographies that inspire children to dream big. Glenda is the author of the award-winning Love Twelve Miles Long, Ira’s Shakespeare Dream, and Song in a Rainstorm: The Story of Musical Prodigy Thomas “Blind Tom” Wiggins. When not writing or practicing the piano, Glenda tends a garden full of succulents and roses. She lives in Los Angeles, California, and you can learn more about her at glenda-armand.com.

Steffi Walthall is a US-based illustrator and character designer born and raised in Virginia. She received her BFA in Game Development from the Savannah College of Art & Design (SCAD). Steffi focuses on crafting a diverse range of characters and unique stories, and draws a majority of her inspiration from mythology, history, film, and science fiction. When she isn’t busy creating something new, you can find her listening to D&D podcasts, reading comic books, or playing video games with her friends. For more information about Steffi, please visit SteffiWalthallArt.com.