Shante Keys and the New Year’s Peas

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Shante Keys and the New Year’s Peas was written by Gail Piernas Davenport and illustrated by Marion Eldridge. This book was published by Whitman, Albert & Company, and the first publication was made in 2017. This 32 pages long book is suitable for the children in 4-8 years old.[1]   

Summary

In this multicultural New Years story, a young African American girl named 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 Years traditions and special foods. Full color.[2]

Pros

Calista explained why she liked this book, she said this is a great kids story about New Year's. This book manages to talk about many different things different cultures do for New Year's Eve to bring luck. Shante Keys is African American and in their tradition Black-eyed peas bring luck. They are luck pennies. This book rhymes. The art is fantastic and she enjoyed the story and learning about other cultures. This book had energy and fun.[2]

Another reader also gave his thought about this book, he mentioned that it is an excellent book to introduce in December as students explore various winter cultural and religious celebrations. Although it is focused on the New Year, this book is an amazing way to tie Christmas, Kwanzaa and the New Year together from an African American perspective. This book can be linked with other books that reflect non-Christian religious traditions or nonreligious traditions African Americans carry out during the winter season. The rhyming narrative makes for an interesting and linguistically creative read aloud. If read aloud, read the entire book and show all the illustrations. The words chosen by the writer authentically introduce aspects of African American vernacular. Don't miss the brief information text at the end of the book which highlights other New Year's traditions from around the world. This information provides an opportunity for important comparison and contrast with Shanté Keys' story.[2]

References