Red Beans & Rice

by Jeanette Weiland, Van Zandt Roberta Loflin (Illustrator)

Overview

"Do you ever wonder where it all comes from and how it is made?" In Red Beans & Rice, children discover the earth to table connection when Magnolia Rose and her friends visit Grandma Bee and Grandpa Pepper’s farm in rural Louisiana.

Inspired by the true story of a young girl who did not know that peaches have fuzzy skin and grow on trees, Jeanette Weiland’s Red Beans & Rice is a playful and polite farm visit where kids from culturally diverse backgrounds discover the local and sustainable earth to table connection.

Red Beans & Rice is a lively read, encompassing multiple characters, with hand-drawn typography highlighting the children’s voices. Young readers will enjoy spotting hidden treasures throughout the pages along with the creatures and critters that share a home in this delicious region of Louisiana. Aspiring chefs will appreciate the extras, including a kid-friendly red beans and rice recipe from restauranteur Dickie Brennan and a vegan version of the dish by Sweet Potato Soul author and blogger, Jenné Claiborne, among others.

This is Jeanette Weiland’s second vividly illustrated rhyming children’s picture book, following the acclaimed Beignets for Breakfast. This time she’s teamed with her artist mother, Roberta Van Zandt Loflin, who has contributed the original watercolor illustrations.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781733634144
Publisher:	Susan Schadt Press
Publication date:	09/15/2020
Pages:	32
Product dimensions:	10.30(w) x 10.10(h) x 0.40(d)
Lexile:	670L (what's this?)
Age Range:	1 - 10 Years

About the Author

Red Beans & Rice is author Jeanette Rose Weiland’s second children’s book focusing on and celebrating New Orleans and the state of Louisiana, where she has lived over half her life. She is infatuated with historic architecture, tropical gardens, and gregarious neighbors. Ms. Weiland and her husband are the parents of two young children, and they relish the fact that their kids have the opportunity to grow up in a place unmatched in color and culture.

Roberta Van Zandt Loflin, is a mother, grandmother, avid gardener, vegan, professional artist and first-time published illustrator. After obtaining a BA in Art History and Theory from George Washington University, Roberta Van Zandt Loflin remained in the Washington, D.C. area where she studied communication design at Northern Virginia Community College and color theory, watercolor and drawing at the Art League School in Alexandria, Virginia. Since moving to Baton Rouge, Louisiana she has had the opportunity to teach watercolor through the Art Guild of Louisiana, LSU Continuing Education, and other venues. She lives in Baton Rouge, Louisiana with her husband.

Read an Excerpt

Magnolia Rose, do you and your friends want
A snack or something cold to drink?
Yes ma’am, Grandma Bee, it’s hot outside
And we need a break, I think.

Mmmmmm...thank you for the snacks Grandma Bee,
And Grandpa Pepper, for the delicious lemonade.
You’re welcome, kids. Do you ever wonder
Where it all comes from and how it is made?

Food and drinks come from the earth
And don’t require all that much.
You need water, sun, dirt, hard work,
And perhaps the magic touch!

What we’re eating is from the earth?
Like the planet in outer space?
No ma’am, no sir, that does not sound right.
We think food comes from another place.

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

"Being the founder of the Krewe of Red Beans, I am always excited to see more books about beans! But being a father and someone with a deep appreciation of Louisiana foodways and culinary traditions, I am excited to share Red Beans & Rice with my children, a charming way to both teach children culinary traditions and some of the ways food is produced in Louisiana.” —DEVIN DE WULF, New Orleans artist, red bean aficionado and founder of Krewe of Red Beans and the nonprofits, Feed The Frontline and Feed The Second Line

"Red Beans & Rice connects kids to the foods they love to eat. The description of how rice, red beans, bananas, satsumas and other Louisiana favorites grow, are harvested, and prepared shows children how their favorites start on the farm and end up on their table - a truly important education. It is because of our small farmers and artisans that Louisiana foods, like red beans and rice, are famous worldwide!" —EMILY OSTUW SHAYA, The Red Bean Queen, crowned through the Bean Madness competition

"This book uses the beauty and joyfulness of food to teach kids not only about how and what to eat, but about the history and culture, and the importance of honoring the land, the sea, and the people who grow, harvest, and cook our food." —DANIELLE NIERENBERG, President and founder, Food Tank

"We are committed to farm to table and work so hard to establish relationships with farmers and our restaurants. We eat the same way at home with seasonal local farm produce, and create many favorite dishes like Red Beans & Rice that connect us to the culture of New Orleans. Through this Red Beans & Rice book, kids will learn that lesson even sooner!" —DONALD LINK, Executive Chef and CEO, Link Restaurant Group (Herbsaint, Cochon, Cochon Butcher, Pêche Seafood Grill, and La Boulangerie)