  | Full Text Reviews: School Library Journal - 11/01/2012 Gr 1–3—Tosh and his grandmother Honey share a special bond, cemented by a story that she has been telling him his whole life. It begins: "Long ago, before you and I were born, our people were enslaved." She follows with the story of a plantation cook who sneaked tea cakes out of the master's house in order to give a taste of sweet freedom to her grandchildren. When Honey shows signs of old age and forgetfulness, Tosh himself bakes the tea cakes to share with her, ensuring that the tradition will survive. Lyons does a wonderful job of showing how cross-generational relationships teach us to respect the past and plan for the future. Lewis's watercolor paintings are miraculously realistic, evoking the characters' relationship and spirit and depicting long-ago plantation life in gray and white to emphasize the shift in time.—Lisa Egly Lehmuller, St. Patrick's Catholic School, Charlotte, NC - Copyright 2012 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission. Booklist - 02/01/2013 Tosh loves when his grandma Honey bakes her special golden tea cakes. He also loves her stories of a brave family history stretching back to slavery times. Tosh’s great-great-great-great-grandma Ida made the best tea cakes, and although she was forbidden to give them to her children and other young slaves, she hid a few in her pocket and risked being whipped to give the children “a taste of sweet freedom.” Lewis illustrates the warm, intimate story with beautiful full-page watercolors—sepia shades for the past, full color for the present day—that show the close bond between Tosh and his grandma as they spend their afternoons together. Then Grandma Honey starts forgetting things, but when Tosh makes the tea cakes, she remembers the proud family story. The climax is first a sepia-tone image of Grandma Ida on the plantation, giving young people the golden treats, followed by a scene of a close embrace between Tosh and his grandma now. The final full recipe adds to the enduring story of courage and caring. - Copyright 2013 Booklist. Loading...
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