Shanté Keys and the New Year's Peas

Plot Summary

Shanté Keys loves New Year’s Day! But while Grandma fixed chitlins, baked ham, greens, and cornbread, she forgot the black-eyed peas! Oh no—it’ll be bad luck without them! So Shanté sets out to borrow some from the neighbors. Does Miss Lee have peas? What about Mr. MacGhee, or Shanté’s good friend Hari? None of them do—but, as Shanté discovers, they have fun foods and traditions for their New Year’s! Now, if only Shanté can find good-luck peas in time for dinner!

In this multicultural New Year’s story, Shanté Keys learns about Chinese New Year and Diwali, as well as how January 1st is celebrated in other countries. The author includes additional pages of information about diverse New Year’s traditions and special foods.

Reviews

"Shanté’s family has a New Year’s tradition. The family has a feast that includes one special item: black-eyed peas. They believe eating the peas will bring them luck throughout the new year. Grandma discovers she has forgotten this crucial dish and sends Shanté out to find some. As Shanté travels from neighbor to neighbor, she learns the New Year’s food traditions of those families, and even though they don’t have the peas she needs, she invites them to dinner to try the ones she’s sure she’ll find....Bright, colorful illustrations portray Shanté’s energy and determination to save her family tradition...this is a simple way to introduce young children to other cultures and traditions. The recipe for Grandma Louise’s Hoppin’ John provides a fun activity for families." Kirkus Reviews

"In rhyming text and vibrant illustrations, this upbeat story celebrates family, community, and multiculturalism, highlighting an African-American family's New Year's food traditions, including 'lucky' black-eyed peas....The story, with abundant dialogue, is written in couplets, with all lines ending in a long 'e' sound, and the expressive art warmly portrays characters' interactions in bright, rich hues and lively detail." Booklist

"...the lighthearted rhyme presents various cultural food customs associated with the holiday. A look at New Year's traditions around the world and a recipe for Hoppin' John are appended." School Library Journal

Associated Keywords
culture, cultures, multicultural, holiday, holidays, diwali, chinese new year, tradition, traditions, african-american, multigenerational, shante, year, eve, new year's eve