Okra Stew: A Gullah Geechee Family Celebration

PreS-Gr 1–Daise’s (from the show Gullah Gullah Island) stunning picture book follows a loving father and son through a day of preparing the special family dinner. The day is a feast for the senses as Bobo’s father takes him to the bee-filled garden to pick vegetables among bright and colorful flowers, then to the creek to catch shrimp where Bobo observes the seagulls, seashells, crabs, and turtles in the sand. Once home, they prepare the rice and cornbread, and put all their ingredients in the pot for the stew. Vibrant mixed media collages and lush descriptive language bring the recipe to life, while Bobo discovers that his father learned how to make the stew in the same kitchen with his father. Back matter includes notes on the origins and cultural practices of the Gullah Geechee community, Gullah words and phrases used in the book, and the author’s okra stew recipe.