January 11, 2025
Who even am I? I never pick up rhyming picture books and only read them under duress. And yet here I am, thoroughly enjoying Pickle Words!
Is it poetry? A tour of pickle processes? A How To Book on making pickles? The answer to all three questions is, Yes! If you like snappy, zazzy wordplay and maybe recipes too, then this book is for you! You’ll learn about pickled/fermented foods from all over the word, see multicultural families clean, chop, brine, seal, chill and eat tangy, crunchy, “sour power” pickles! With backmatter detailing pickle facts, sharing all the different types of fermented foods, recipes and an excellent Authors Note sharing April's inspiration for Pickle Words.
The author, April, recently passed away and I read this quote from her editor in the obituary, “I’ll never forget the time she asked for an extension one spring because she had been distracted by ‘an excessive amount of cuteness going on in the yard.’” Thank you, April. And may we all miss deadlines in pursuit of "excessive amounts of cuteness".
Bits and Pieces: The illustrations were done in digital media.
Not Sure About: I don’t like pickles. Eeek!
Favorite Part(s): I love how stylish everyone was in this book. Top tier outfits and bold colors. My favorite line was: “Gherkins workin’ / Mustard—wow! / Piccalilli. / Chowchow now!” Why is “gherkins workin” so funny? I’m smiling just thinking about it.
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