Morrison, Toni and Morrison, Slade. 2009. Peeny Butter Fudge. New York: Simon & Schuster.
Any child who has discovered that Grandma is more fun than Mom is in for a treat with Peeny Butter Fudge. Toni and Slade Morrison’s rhyme-filled tale follows three young children as they spend the afternoon at their Nana’s house. Mom leaves a set of instructions for Nana and the children – and while Nana may follow the spirit of those instructions, I’m sure the day looks nothing like what Mom had in mind. Storybooks, potato sack races and playing doctor replace time at the playground and television watching. Biscuits, ham, and lemonade replace hot dogs and macaroni and cheese for dinner. From the opening scene with Mom’s instructions for the day, through the various activities of the day, to the mess of the kitchen after making the titular Peeny Butter Fudge, this is a fun, playful tale, further enhanced by the illustrations of Joe Cepeda. The oil-painted illustrations are bright, colorful, and bold, and are often called upon to narrate the story on their own. Children will enjoy the lighthearted rhythm of the story, and many adult readers will be reminded of their own childhood visits to their grandmothers, or at least the visits of their dreams.
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