Fish Fry Friday
by Winsome Bingham; illus. by C. G. Esperanza
Primary    Abrams    48 pp.
7/25    9781419766930    $19.99
e-book ed.  9781647009465    $17.99

A child spends the day with their grandmother fishing and then frying up their catch together in this tasty follow-up to Soul Food Sunday (rev. 11/21). The child narrates as the duo leaves before dawn, loading up their supplies into Granny’s Jeep and heading for a pier on an Army base on the Chesapeake Bay. Once there, Granny, who is a disabled veteran, shows her badge to gain admittance. She prays “for a blessing” before making her way to the pier, where she’s greeted warmly by the other anglers. Soon, Granny’s line begins to “Bob-Bob-Bob!” and “Jerk-Jerk-Jerk!” as she reels in a big croaker. By sunrise, the pair have caught a bucketful of fish, and they head back to Granny’s house, where they clean, batter, and fry them. The child is then inspired to make hand-rolled hushpuppies to accompany their meal. Finally, other family members arrive for the feast. Bingham captures the love that goes into preparing the food and the closeness between the child and Granny. Her use of onomatopoeia makes for a good read-aloud. Esperanza’s oil paint and pencil illustrations feature bold colors, primarily in shades of blue, pink, and coral. The sankofa bird on Granny’s T-shirt is a nice nod to the rich history of weekend fish fries in Black culture. An author’s note and a cook’s note are appended, along with a recipe for hushpuppies.

From the September/October 2025 issue of The Horn Book Magazine.