Beautifully written, Okra Stew: A Gullah Geechee Family Celebration is heartwarming, and compelling, and shines throughout with themes of family and food, and their emphasis on passing down cultural traditions.
The artwork is eye-catching and appears to be stacked. Each singular element of a scene leaps off the pages with a layered effect of images against patterns that embrace the spirit of togetherness.
The language and storytelling are detailed and unique to the Gullah Geechee culture. The presentation is accessible and encourages conversation around the importance and meaning of cultural traditions. Consequently, it is an amalgamation fit for an informative and engaging reading experience.
Aside from the book’s core message and stylized artwork, other highlights of this book are the Okra Stew recipe, the addition of the Sankofa symbol in the background, meaning “go back and fetch it” in the Ghanian Twi language, and the Gullah language sprinkled throughout the narrative.
I enjoyed seeing the Gullah language so much that I created a hidden message puzzle with words from the Gullah language written in the book. Feel free to download a copy.
In the comments, get the conversation going by sharing your cultural traditions or recipes and their importance to you.
