Summary
Fry Bread is a beautiful story about a Native American tradition that brings a family together. Fry Bread is a Native American dish that has the power to unite. Juana Martinez’s illustrations bring to life Fry Bread in conjunction with the text, and offers readers the opportunity to celebrate and share the staple of Native American Culture.
Theme(s):
Family, Community, Culture
Personal Response
I enjoyed reading this story, as I enjoy reading texts that teach me about other cultures. I loved that the author includes additional notes at the end, such as a recipe for making Fry Bread, as the authors note which expands on the overall theme of this traditional food being magical. As I read, I started to think about my own culture, and how we have a similar traditional food that we cherish.
Teaching Ideas
I would use this text to lead into a cultural activity, where my students can engage in conversations around what they learned about Fry Bread and American Indian culture, and connect this to traditional things or foods of their culture. I would have students of similar cultures grouped together to create a visual that represents their culture and then facilitate a whole group share exercises where they share their visuals with the class.
Recommended Reading Level
Birth-PreK, Grade 01
