Fry Bread: A Native American Family Story

Bibliography

Maillard, K. N. (2019). FRY BREAD: A NATIVE AMERICAN FAMILY STORY. Illustrated by J. Martinez-Neal. Roaring Brook Press. ISBN: 978-1-626-72746-5.

Plot Summary

FRY BREAD is a picture book about fry bread told through a Native American family cooking together. The book tells about the fry bread in a way to understand that it is more than food, but a symbol of Native American culture. The family connection, survival, and community. 

Critical Analysis

FRY BREAD is a strong Native American picture book because it tells about a staple food in a way that connects their past to modern day and symbolizes the culture. Fry bread connects family members and generations. It carries the memory. Food is an important part of this culture, especially when it is connected to family tradition and survival. 

Author Kevin Noble Maillard is an enrolled member of the Seminole nation, which gives this book a stronger cultural connection. When he tells and describes the fry bread with history, it is with pride. Juana Martinez-Neal's illustrations add warmth and cultural meaning to it. The different skin tones, hairstyles, and facial features of the family members showcase the diversity of Native families. 

Overall, FRY BREAD is a meaningful way to represent the Native American culture through something simple and familiar to all readers. 

Review Excerpts

"This is about more than food, referencing cultural issues such as the history of displacement, starvation, and the struggle to survive, albeit in subtle ways appropriate for young children." Kirkus, starred review.

"Fry bread is food Fry bread is shape Fry bread is sound Fry bread is time Fry bread is history Specific characteristics and cultural importance of fry bread, part of Native American tradition across many tribal nations, is celebrated in a picture book that appeals to the senses while also encompassing complex concepts." CCBC, starred review.

Connections

This book, of course, would work well in a Native American study so students can discuss how food represents family, community, and culture. However, it would be best not only to use it to discuss Native American culture only one time. It can be paired with other Native American literature. It could also be used in units discussing how art and text work together.