Review by Booklist Review
Pops and Big Ma, an aging but active Black couple, wake up early one morning, full of good cheer and eager to start preparing a feast for their large, extended family. Meanwhile, their relatives are making their way toward this special dinner, and they begin to arrive in small family groups. "Sisters, brothers, daughters, sons. / Kisses, hugs for everyone." Bringing foods prepared at home, the relatives soon fill the kitchen, smiling and chatting while following Big Ma's orders to prepare their family's traditional favorite dishes. Chaos mounts as the children "help" by swiping bits of icing from a cake, but everyone gathers around the table to fill their plates and hear Pops' grace. When the day is done, an apt refrain sums up this joyous family get-together: "Tastes like home when family meet; a bond so warm, so strong, so sweet." Written in rhymed couplets, Weatherford's narrative reads aloud beautifully; Morrison's illustrations capture the warmth and strength of the characters and relationships that bring this happy family together for a time they clearly treasure.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Boston Weatherford and Morrison reteam for this joyful celebration of food, family, and tradition. Rhythmic lines describe Big Ma and Pops rising at five a.m. to begin preparations for an intergenerational Black family's unspecified gathering. As relatives trickle in from all directions, everyone lends a hand. A warm, saturated color palette evokes the cozy chaos of a bustling kitchen, while layered details create a sensory feast on every page. Adults catch up while children revel in the delicious commotion as a refrain reads, "Tastes like home when family meet;/ a bond so warm, so strong, so sweet." After the slicing of a turkey, and a heartfelt prayer shown from a bird's-eye view, the family assembles to enjoy one another's company. The joy lingers long after dessert across this soulful tribute to legacy, love, and familial gatherings. Ages 4--8. (Sept.)
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Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 2--Weatherford narrates her book with all the love she can muster. Listeners will experience the warmth that Pops and Big Ma feel as they prepare for the family gathering at their house tonight. Also palpable is the kids' anticipation as they impatiently ride in the car and the family's joy of being together, sharing food, and swapping stories. Inserted at just the right moment is the sound of the puppy getting his treat. Generally, the author's pacing and word inflection are spot-on. She very carefully pronounces each word, though occasionally at such a slow pace and sharp precision that it sounds a bit mechanical. For example, she uses a harsh "t" sound in "plat-ter" and "clat-ter" instead of the softer "t" of casual speech. She recites the many lists with appropriate pauses between items, but sometimes inserts an unnecessary pause in the middle of a phrase, making it sing-song. So, "Food for thought, for body and soul. / Little ones beg to lick the bowl" becomes, "Food for thought,/ for body and soul./ Little ones beg/ to lick the bowl." VERDICT Despite the issues mentioned above, all told, this is a joy-filled event!--Stephanie Bange
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Review by Horn Book Review
"Tastes like home when family meet; / a bond so warm, so strong, so sweet." These lines are repeated throughout this inviting book about a Black family gathering for a holiday meal. Weatherford captures the love and excitement as a large extended family heads to Big Ma and Pops's rowhouse in an unnamed city for food (turkey, ham, collard greens, candied yams, etc.) and fellowship. Morrison's oil paint illustrations, primarily in fall shades, do a particularly good job of showcasing the children in the family as they dart in and out of the kitchen and "beg to lick the bowl." Marva Anne HintonNovember/December 2025 p.17 (c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
A festive, multigenerational family gathering is rooted in soul food and familial love. Big Ma and Pops wake early to begin preparing a meal that will bring everyone together from near and far. While Big Ma peels apples "for her famous pie," Pops "dresses the fish to fry." Throughout Weatherford's lively, rhyming story, the refrain "Tastes like home when family meet; / a bond so warm, so strong, so sweet" gives the book a musical quality. The menu for this amazing dinner includes black-eyed peas, collard greens, rice and beans, candied yams, a pineapple-ringed ham, biscuits, cornbread muffins, and more. Joy abounds in each scene, and Morrison's action-packed oil paintings offer a plethora of details for young readers to notice. During a scene where the family cooks together in the kitchen, youngsters will spot a visibly pregnant relative wearing a "Baby on Board" shirt, a matriarch removing a pot's lid to sniff its contents, and a little one who can barely see over the counter giving Pops the side-eye as he salts the contents of a big bowl. Dog lovers will enjoy observing the beagle, ever hopeful for handouts. Morrison's illustrations of this close-kit Black family highlight distinct personalities through creative clothing choices, different hair styles, dramatic facial expressions, and elongated limbs that suggest constant motion. A triumphant and utterly inviting gustatory celebration.(Picture book. 4-8) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
