CCBC Booklists

CCBC Review:

Friday evenings are for fish fries at Granny’s, but this Friday is extra special. School is out, which means the young, Black narrator gets to join Granny in catching the fish. The day’s work begins before sunrise, but by the time they reach the pier at the Army post, the sky is glowing pink. Granny says a quick prayer before she and her grandchild are greeted like celebrities by the others at the pier; Granny’s the “fish magnet queen” who brings luck to everyone. Her grandchild helps Granny reel in a bucketful of “blue catfish and croakers, spots and speckled trout,” and then they head home to clean their catch and prepare a meal. Sensory details and cooking sounds pepper the page as Granny shows the narrator how to prepare the batter. It’s the narrator’s idea to turn the leftover batter into hushpuppies, which the two of them sample before the rest of the family arrives toting sides to complete the feast. Over the course of the story, Granny mentions a lot of favorites—the fillets, the batter, the hushpuppies—but spending the day with her grandchild is her “favorite, favorite, favorite part!” Vibrant, dynamic oil paintings add movement and excitement to a mouth-watering story. ©2026 Cooperative Children’s Book Center

Illustrated by C. G. Esperanza

CCBC Age Recommendation: 5-9
Age Range: PreK-Early Elementary (Ages 4-7) Grades 3-5 (Ages 8-10)
Format: Picture book
Subjects: African Americans Community Food and Cooking Grandmothers Traditions
Diversity subject: Black/African
On CCBC Booklist: Black Experiences: Affirmation and Resilience, Activism and Resistance in 45 Books for PreK-Grade 12 

Publisher: Abrams
Publish Year: 2025
Pages: 40
ISBN: 9781419766930
CCBC Location: Picture Book, Bingham

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