Yumbo Gumbo
Keila V. Dawson, author
Keila V. Dawson was born and raised in New Orleans. When she grew up, she traveled the world, working as a community organizer, teacher, school administrator, educational consultant, and advocate for children with special needs. Nowadays she lives in Cincinnati, where she writes books for children, including The King Cake Baby and Opening the Road: Victor Hugo Green and His Green Book. She is also the coeditor of No Voice Too Small: Fourteen Young Americans Making History and No World Too Big: Young People Fighting Global Climate Change.
Read more about Keila.
Katie Crumpton, illustrator
Ever since she was five years old, Katie Crumpton knew she wanted to be an artist. To pursue her art education, she moved from South Carolina to the San Francisco Bay Area, where she now lives and works as a freelance artist. Katie is the illustrator of several children's books, including A Stitch Through Time and I, Too, Sing America.
Read more about Katie.
- Coming soon!
Children's Literature
Annabelle is full of excitement when the day arrives for her grandparents to teach her how to cook gumbo. As the family begins preparing to make the gumbo, Annabelle and her brother Beau can’t agree on what type to cook. Annabelle wants okra gumbo, but Beau wants chicken gumbo. Annabelle suggests everyone vote in order to choose which one to make, but there ends up being a tie between the two. Annabelle’s grandfather proposes both groups compromise and make seafood filé gumbo instead. So, the family takes a second vote, now with seafood filé gumbo as a third option, but the vote results in a three-way tie. Annabelle decides to create another vote, but this time everyone is asked to vote for their least favorite option. After all the family members voted, Annabelle realized no one voted for seafood filé gumbo, therefore, that was the option they should choose. As they begin to cook, Annabelle sees that her younger brother is still upset about the choice of gumbo, so she proposes that they combine all three types, adding okra, chicken, and seafood to the pot. Together they make a new family recipe, “Yumbo Gumbo.” In this unique story, children are introduced to mathematical concepts and how they can be used in real-life situations to resolve conflicts. Dawson demonstrates how voting can help you fairly decide between multiple options. The tale also depicts how with a little compromise and creativity, you can find a way to put a smile on everyone’s face.
Hardcover
ISBN: 978-1-62354-325-9
Paperback
ISBN: 978-1-62354-326-6
Ages: 3-6
Page count: 32
91/2 x 91/2
Publication date: February 20, 2024