The Horn Book Guide

PICTURE BOOKS

May, Kathy L.

Molasses Man

32 pp. | Holiday | July, 2000 | Trade ISBN 0-8234-1438-8 $$16.95

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Felicia Marshall. An author's note reveals that some southern families still make their own sorghum molasses, like the rural African-American family pictured in this book. The Molasses Man's grandson describes his family working together to cut the cane, boil down the syrup, and sell the molasses at a roadside stand. Although facial expressions often seem distorted, the realistic paintings convey the warm feelings of the extended community.

Reviewer: Melinda Greenblatt