K-Gr 4-Sadie, an eight-year-old African-American girl, lives on a farm during the early 1900s. Drought has produced the worst crops ever, but the rain arrives just in time to save the sweet potatoes. When Papa receives a letter from the bank threatening to take the farm unless a loan is repaid, Mama has an idea: the family will make sweet potato pies and sell them at the Harvest Celebration in town. Everyone pitches in to get the wagon ready, gather the ingredients, and do the baking. At the fair, Mama's pies sell like hot cakes, guaranteeing a happy ending. Done in an impressionist style, Riley-Webb's rich acrylic artwork adds greatly to the text. The paintings seem to be moving to the tune of exuberant music; the actions and emotions of the characters are reflected through the use of brush strokes, color, and perspective. Although a bit lengthy, this tale is suitable for independent reading or sharing aloud. Pair it with other stories that celebrate families such as Elizabeth Howard's Aunt Flossie's Hats (and Crab Cakes Later) (Clarion, 1991), Cynthia Rylant's The Relatives Came (Bradbury, 1985), Patricia Polacco's The Keeping Quilt (S & S, 1988), or George Ella Lyon's Come a Tide (Orchard, 1990).-Susan M. Moore, Louisville Free Public Library, KY (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Energetic acrylic paintings enhance this story of an African-American family that saves their farm by selling sweet potato pies at the local Harvest Celebration. In a well-paced narrative, eight-year-old Sadie tells the story of each family member's contribution. A recipe for Mama's Sweet Potato Pie and Extra-Flaky Pie Crust is appended. From HORN BOOK Spring 2004, (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Gr. 1-3. Hardship and loss yield sweet results in this homespun tale of a family's collective efforts to save their farm from the auction block. Sadie's family is thrown into turmoil after a drought destroys all but their sweet potato crop. As the mortgage comes due, it looks like the family will have to sell their beloved property until Mama comes up with the idea that they should sell her sweet potato pies instead. Everyone in the family helps make the pies, which win a blue ribbon and plant the seeds of a lucrative family enterprise. First-time author Lindsey's down-home storytelling quality is charming and Riley-Webb's picture of Lindsey's handmade "Sweet Potato" quilt recalls Faith Ringgold's use of unique quilt illustrations in Dinner at Aunt Connie's House (1993). The artwork's broad, energetic strokes and strong color palette sweep children into this tasty tale, and the included pie recipe makes the experience complete. --Terry Glover Copyright 2003 Booklist