Annabelle is excited to go to her grandparents’ house and learn to cook gumbo, one of her favorite things to eat. But when they get to Mami and Papi’s, no one can agree on what kind of gumbo to cook. Some want okra, some want chicken. They vote to decide but come out with an even number for each.

Annabelle keeps suggesting new ways to decide, until they all agree and get to work cooking. They’re all happy with the delicious result.

Yumbo Gumbo by Keila V. Dawson sneaks in a bit of math with a family story of figuring out how to compromise with meals. And there’s also the mouth-watering description of gumbo, which also happens to be one of my favorite dishes.

A glossary at the end explains some of the Louisiana creole expressions used in the book, and an author’s note explains more about the origins of gumbo and how the dish evolved with the input from many cultures. Illustrations by Katie Crumpton are whimsical and add bright tones throughout.

Yumbo Gumbo also has a few exercises in the back to help children figure out how to be fair when deciding among competing options. All in all it’s a fun picture book that parents and children will want to read again and again. Preferably when they have time to work in the kitchen.

The publisher provided me with a copy of this title in exchange for my honest review.