Shante Keys and the New Year's Peas

K-Gr-2 It's New Year's Day, and Shanté's Grandma is "weak in the knees" from cooking "chitlins, baked ham, /macaroni and cheese, /Greens and hot corn bread, /but no black-eyed peas!" If the family doesn't eat "cowpeas," it means a year of bad luck, so Shanté goes out into the neighborhood in search of "blackeyes." She visits a Chinese woman, a Scottish grocer, a Mexican restaurant owner, and a Hindu family. In turn, each neighbor explains his or her culture's differing New Year's practices with an oversimplification that leans toward ethnic stereotypes. The book tries to do too much, taking the focus off Shanté and her family. The illustrations, done in candylike colors, are unappealing. On the plus side, the lighthearted rhyme presents various cultural food customs associated with the holiday. A look at New Year's traditions around the world and a recipe for Hoppin' John are appended. - Teresa Pfeifer, Alfred Zanetti Montessori Magnet School, Springfield, MA

Copyright 2008 School Library Journal, LLC.  Used with permission

Kirkus Reviews