“Fry bread is food … Fry bread is shape … Fry bread is sound … Fry bread is time … Fry bread is history …” Specific characteristics and cultural importance of fry bread, part of Native American tradition across many tribal nations, is celebrated in a picture book that appeals to the senses while also encompassing complex concepts. Each characteristic of fry bread is expanded on with child– friendly examples described in vivid language. “The skillet clangs / The fire blazes from below … On weekdays and holidays / Supper or dinner / Powwows and festivals … The long walk / the stolen land …” Maillard’s exceptional writing is paired with cozy illustrations by Martinez-Neal that show realistic variety in hair, eye, and skin colors of Indigenous peoples. Her circular shapes exude a sense of home and security, with small children embraced and surrounded by their elders. The end pages echo this diversity with their extensive lists of many Indigenous nations in the United States, both those recognized by the government and those that aren’t, affirming the identities of so many Native children. Maillard’s thorough, fascinating author’s note offers more information and context for each double-page spread in this masterful original picture book. Honor Book, 2020 Charlotte Zolotow Award (Ages 3–8)

Winner of the 2020 Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Medal
A 2020 American Indian Youth Literature Picture Book Honor Winner

“A wonderful and sweet book . . . Lovely stuff.” —The New York Times Book Review

Told in lively and powerful verse by debut author Kevin Noble Maillard, Fry Bread is an evocative depiction of a modern Native American family, vibrantly illustrated by Pura Belpre Award winner and Caldecott Honoree Juana Martinez-Neal.

Fry bread is food.
It is warm and delicious, piled high on a plate.

Fry bread is time.
It brings families together for meals and new memories.

Fry bread is nation.
It is shared by many, from coast to coast and beyond.

Fry bread is us.
It is a celebration of old and new, traditional and modern, similarity and difference.

A 2020 Charlotte Huck Recommended Book
A Publishers Weekly Best Picture Book of 2019
A Kirkus Reviews Best Picture Book of 2019
A School Library Journal Best Picture Book of 2019
A Booklist 2019 Editor's Choice
A Shelf Awareness Best Children's Book of 2019
A Goodreads Choice Award 2019 Semifinalist
A Chicago Public Library Best of the Best Book of 2019
A National Public Radio (NPR) Best Book of 2019
An NCTE Notable Poetry Book
A 2020 NCSS Notable Social Studies Trade Book for Young People
A 2020 ALA Notable Children's Book
A 2020 ILA Notable Book for a Global Society
2020 Bank Street College of Education Best Children's Books of the Year List
One of NPR's 100 Favorite Books for Young Readers
Nominee, Pennsylvania Young Readers Choice Award 2022-2022
Nominee, Illinois Monarch Award 2022