A Fine Dessert: Four Centuries, Four Families…
It’s Perfect Picture Book Friday! My pick for today is A Fine Dessert: Four Centuries, Four Families, One Delicious Treat
Title: A Fine Dessert: Four Centuries, Four Families, One Delicious Treat
Written by Emily Jenkins
Illustrated by: Sophie Blackall
Publisher: Schwartz & Wade (January 2015)
Suitable for ages: 4-8
Themes/Topics: food history, American history, family, historical genealogy, geography, technology
Brief Synopsis: Follow four families over four centuries make the same blackberry fool dessert. The book opens in 1710 in England and the reader sees the mother and daughter picking the blackberries, beating the cream from their cow with twigs. Fast forward a hundred years to 1810 in South Carolina, then 1910 in Boston and finally to San Diego today.
Opening pages: “A bit more than three hundred years ago in an English town called Lyme, a girl and her mother picked wild blackberries.
Their hands turned purple with the juice.
The thorns of the berry bushes pricked the fabric of their long skirts.
Why I like this book: As a family historian I spend a great deal of time researching and rummaging through genealogical records. This book is a delightful and can be used in so many ways to introduce change over four centuries. Kids are introduced to technological advances that affected the daily lives of people. Every hundred years a new kitchen tool is used to make the cream- twigs, a wire whisk, a rotary beater, and finally an electric mixer that affects the time it takes to prepare it. They also see sociological change through the family units presented. The illustrations show the evolution of the family over four centuries from high society, slave society, to a more middle class society that becomes more inclusive and less formal.
The author and illustrator include notes about their research lagniappe for any teacher or researcher. And of course there’s a recipe for blackberry fool!
Resources: A Fine Dessert Poster and Activities (with CCSS tie-ins) is available on the Random House website here.
For more of today’s book reviews, go to author Susanna Hill’s Perfect Picture Book page.
Wow. Finally was able to get this on hold at the library. Thanks for the review.
Worth the wait Stacy!
The title is intriguing.
Isn’t it Rachel? And a good read indeed.
I’ve read several reviews for this book. Sounds so interesting. It’s on my must read list.
You will love reading it, promise!
What a great way to combine food with history around our country. I will have to read this one.
What an interesting way to connect food and history around our country. I have to read this one!
It really is Joyce, you will enjoy it.
A book after my own heart. I want this one as I love genealogy and hidden gems like this story. Lovely review. You convinced me.
Then you will love the author and illustrator notes on their research Patricia. Means a lot coming from a master reviewer like you!
Gosh, I love this idea.
Isn’t it a great idea? So to introduce kids to the concept of time over centuries in a way they can understand.
this book looks yummy… I love that it is about kitchen technology spanning hundreds of years. Definitely going to look for it.
It is Sue, so clever.
I keep seeing people rave about this book. It looks absolutely beautiful. I look forward to reading it myself.
I did a double take when I saw the word lagniappe in your review. When I lived in Southwest Louisiana, I saw the word all the time, but it has been years now. How fun!
Hi Tiffa, When did you live in Louisiana? I graduated from university in Lafayette. I’m a NOLA girl. LOL
Yes, this book is delicious!
Why haven’t I heard about this book?! Thank-you!!!
A gem, so cool.