Saturdays and Teacakes

by Lester L. Laminack, Chris Soentpiet (Illustrator)

Overview

A lyrical picture book memoir of one boy and his beloved grandmother, from award-winning author Lester L. Laminack.

Every Saturday, a young boy rides his bicycle up and down country roads, past farms and a filling station, until he reaches his Mammaw's house. She is waiting for him. There, the young boy helps her. She picks tomatoes and he pushes the lawnmower through the dew-wet grass. But the best part of the day is helping his Mammaw make teacakes from scratch and eating the hot, sweet cakes fresh from the oven.

Lester L. Laminack's richly detailed prose perfectly portrays the special relationship of a young boy and his grandmother. Award-winning illustrator Chris Soentpiet's remarkably detailed watercolor images beautifully capture the setting.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781682630815
Publisher:	Candlewick Press
Publication date:	01/10/2023
Pages:	32
Product dimensions:	10.51(w) x 10.51(h) x 0.16(d)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Lester L. Laminack is a specialist in children's literacy and professor emeritus at Western Carolina University. Laminack has written numerous books and articles for educators in addition to his picture books, and he is a sought-after speaker at professional meetings and reading associations nationwide. He lives in North Carolina.

Chris Soentpiet graduated with honors from the Pratt Institute of Art in New York City, where he majored in fine arts and minored in education. He has illustrated numerous award-winning books for children. A native of Korea, he lives in New York.

Editorial Reviews

"The impeccably rendered paintings illustrate with astonishing historical accuracy. . . this nostalgic look back offers up the childhood many of us wish we'd had."—Kirkus Reviews

"Drawing on his childhood in Heflin, AL, the author splendidly recreates these nostalgic scenes, carefully bringing the memories to life by describing the sunny kitchen, the crunch of gravel under bicycle wheels, and the sweet aroma of the cakes. The brilliant watercolor paintings glow with light and idyllically capture the world of yesteryear."—School Library Journal

"Illustrator Soentpiet notes that his model is Norman Rockwell, and this picture book, set in rural Alabama in 1964, certainly evokes Rockwell's idyllic visions of family togetherness. . . the pictures are gorgeous, and the bond between child and grandparent is timeless."—Booklist

From the Publisher

Laminack (The Sunsets of Miss Olivia Wiggins) takes a sweet trip down memory lane in this ode to his grandmother, but forgets that his passengers need more than nostalgia to make the journey worthwhile. "When I was nine or ten years old I couldn't wait for Saturdays," the narrator begins. Set in Alabama in 1964, the slice-of-life story reveals the emotional connections forged by a boy's weekly bike trips to visit his grandmother "Mammaw." They share meals, time on the porch swing, yard work and making teacakes (the recipe for which is on the publisher's Web site). Tactile descriptions help engage readers ("[The dough] was smooth and pale yellow and smelled like fresh cotton candy at the county fair") but the slow-paced, minimal action may lose them. For example, a moment-by-moment itinerary of the boy's bike trip seems extraneous. Soentpiet (My Brother Martin) creates an appealingly wholesome, Mayberry-esque vision of the town, with flower-filled yards, smiling gas station attendants and Mammaw's gleaming red and white kitchen. A high-intensity light seems to shine on his wide-ranging palette of watercolors, giving a souped-up, faintly surreal glow to these scenes of loving intergenerational ties. Ages 4-8. (Mar.) Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.

Publishers Weekly

Gr 1-4-Every Saturday morning, the young narrator pedals his bike through town, passing familiar landmarks like the bank and the gas station, until he reaches his grandmother's house. The two share a special day talking, doing chores, and finally baking and feasting on Mammaw's special teacakes. Drawing on his childhood in Heflin, AL, the author splendidly re-creates these nostalgic scenes, carefully bringing the memories to life by describing the sunny kitchen, the crunch of gravel under bicycle wheels, and the sweet aroma of the cakes. The brilliant watercolor paintings glow with light and idyllically capture the world of yesterday. Older readers may enjoy sharing this book with their grandparents, and teachers might incorporate it into lessons about writing descriptive memoirs.-Linda L. Walkins, Mount Saint Joseph Academy, Brighton, MA Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.

School Library Journal

Readers will have a hard time resisting this cover: a grinning boy of nine or ten is lord of the pile of treats in front of him: teacakes he bakes with his grandmother as the culmination of their Saturday visits. Also on the weekly agenda: mowing Mawmaw's lawn and enjoying sandwiches crafted with her just-picked tomatoes. Set in 1964 in Heflin, Alabama, there's little tension in this vignette-riding his bike there safely through the rural countryside is the hardest part of the boy's day. The impeccably rendered paintings illustrate with astonishing historical accuracy the slightly long text and capture the details of the time: gasoline pumps and automobiles in the service station, the boy's bicycle, and kitchen furnishings that suggest an even earlier time. The author crafted this as a tribute to a childhood tradition with his grandmother, to whom the book is dedicated; while not all of us had his childhood, filled with sunshine and smiles, this nostalgic look back offers up the childhood many of us wish we'd had. (Picture book. 4-8). . . Mallat, KathyMAMA LOVEIllus. by the authorWalker (24 pp.)$15.95PLB $16.85Mar. 2004

Kirkus Reviews