Culture 4 Review - Fry Bread

 

Bibliographic Information

Maillard, K. N. 2019. FRY BREAD: A NATIVE AMERICAN FAMILY STORY. Ill. by Juana Martinez-Neal. New York, NY: Roaring Brook Press. ISBN 9781626727465

Plot Summary

Fry bread is food.

It is warm and delicious, piled high on a plate.

Fry bread is time.

It brings families together for meals and new memories.

Fry bread is nation.

It is shared by many, from coast to coast and beyond.

Fry bread is us.

It is a celebration of old and new, traditional and modern, similarity and difference.

Critical Analysis

Fry Bread: A Native American Family Story by Kevin Noble Maillard is more than just a picture book about food. It’s a story about culture, community, survival, and love. I read this book with my daughter, and we both found ourselves drawn in by the rhythm of the words and the warmth that radiates from each page. This is the kind of book that creates connection and a deeper appreciation for Native American history and traditions.

The story centers around fry bread. A food that, at first glance, might seem simple, but as Maillard explains, carries layers of meaning. Each page begins with “Fry bread is…” followed by short phrases like “food”, “shape”, and “sound”. Throughout the pages, readers learn how fry bread is made, what it looks and feels like, and what it represents.

The text is gentle and easily understandable for young readers, while still offering more detailed context for older readers or adults. I especially appreciated the author’s note at the end. Maillard shares the historical background of fry bread, and how it came to be a staple food after Native tribes were forcibly displaced from their lands and given government-issued rations. That history adds weight to the story, helping children (and grown-ups!) understand how something as comforting as a piece of bread can carry centuries of strength, struggle, and identity. 

The illustrations by Juana Martinez-Neal are warm and full of love. The faces of the children, elders, and families are soft and expressive, and I noticed how each page is full of subtle details like tribal patterns, woven textures, and skin tones that represent many Native American communities. There is such care taken to reflect diversity within Native culture. Overall, this book is a celebration of family, of coming together, and finding pride in your culture. 

Awards Won & Review Excerpt(s)

*Winner of the Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Medal

*An American Indian Youth Literature Picture Book Honor Winner

*“With buoyant, heartfelt illustrations that show the diversity in Native America, the book tells the story of a post-colonial food, a shared tradition across the North American continent . . . Through this topic that includes the diversity of so many Native peoples in a single story, Maillard (Mekusukey Seminole) promotes unity and familiarity among nations. Fry bread is much more than food, as this book amply demonstrates.” Kirkus Reviews, starred review

*“Fry Bread celebrates the thing itself and much, much more . . . Maillard and Martinez-Neal bring depth, detail, and whimsy to this Native American food story, with text and illustrations depicting the diversity of indigenous peoples, the role of continuity between generations, and the adaptation over time of people, place, and tradition.” Booklist, starred review

*“A powerful meditation” Publishers Weekly, starred review

*“This warm and charming book shows and affirms Native lives. The informational text and expressive drawings give it broad appeal.” School Library Journal, starred review

*“Rich with smells and sounds, Fry Bread radiates with Native American pride, the sharing of traditions and the love of family.” Book Page, starred review

Connections

*Find out if students make their own versions of fry bread at home using a similar or different recipe. Create a sensory experience for students by following the recipe in the back of the book for students to try.

*The Author’s Note is full of important facts about the diversity of Native American people, the removal and displacement of Native Americans, data about where Native Americans live in the United States, and federally recognized Native American tribes and the recognition and denial process. Much of the information may surprise and may even enrage students. Support students to read with a lens towards “I never knew” as they approach the Author’s Note. Have students record what they never knew and their reaction to the information.

*Compare and contrast Fry Bread with Bread, Bread, Bread by Ann Morris, a photographic “round-the-world” tour of bread. Consider the way in which “breaking bread” is significant for families and communities. How do both books broaden our thinking about bread and its community-building nature? Both books are considered information. In what ways do the authors and illustrators convey information differently?