Book Review: “Bring Me Some Apples and I'll Make You a Pie” by Robbin Gourley

“Bring Me Some Apples and I'll Make You a Pie” by Robbin Gourley introduces young readers to the life and culinary creations of beloved chef and Orange County native Edna Lewis. (Photo Credit: Heather Griffin)

"Apples taste best when they're sun-ripened and freshly picked."

Born in 1916 in Orange County, Va., in a farming settlement called Freetown, Edna Lewis was a beloved chef and author of four cookbooks celebrating Southern style.

Growing up in a community where residents grew and harvested their own food, Edna learned the importance of farm-to-table as she cooked with her mother and her aunt Jenny.

In the children’s book “Bring Me Some Apples and I'll Make You a Pie,” Robbin Gourley reimagines Edna's childhood on the farm, falling in love with food and learning to turn harvests into delicious meals.

The watercolor art is lovely and vibrant--- a perfect accompaniment to the scents and flavors the descriptions evoke. You can almost taste the sweet tang of the berries and the fresh spice of the greens.

The narrative travels through each season in the fields along with Edna, picking juicy tomatoes and fresh nuts, making the reader impatient for spring so they can begin harvesting their own food and trying out some of Edna's recipes. Fortunately, readers don’t have to look far for a way to bring some of the famous chef’s food into their own kitchens, as the book ends with five recipes inspired by Edna for children to make with their families.

Sprinkled throughout the book are rhymes and proverbs from the author's own childhood and African American folk tradition, many of which formed the basis for later poems and songs by musicians such as Snooks Eaglin and Merle Travis.

All in all, “Bring Me Some Apples and I'll Make You a Pie” is a sweet, appetizing introduction to chef Edna Lewis that can be enjoyed by children and adults alike.