Power, Will. Nana’s New Soul Food: Discovering Vegan Soul Food. Illustrated by R. Gregory Christie. Crown Books for Young Readers, 2024. 978-0-593-62539-8. Unpaged. $18.99. Grades K-3.

An unnamed African-American boy narrates this positive tale of his grandma’s medically necessary dietary changes. Though he loves her “soul food,” he is committed to finding “new soul food” for her, and so, with his mother, they scour the West End market to find treasures.  They purchase foods like wraps stuffed with couscous and kale; mushroom gravy; nut blend cheese; veggie burgers; air-popped fries; juice; various fruits, and even donuts. The boy’s belief in the food choices quietly grows from “So much healthy food/(Momma says delicious food–I say healthy food)/in the West End” to subtle but important change of “So much healthy good/(Momma says healthy food–I say delicious food)/in the West End.” The reader, like the boy, may feel the same way. The illustrations show vendors with various colorful foods, and the boy’s hopefulness is apparent as they share the foods, and finally, hugs with his grandma. Readers will be left feeling that changes are possible with the support of family. 

THOUGHTS: Excellent pairing of author and illustrator work to present an uplifting and colorful story. This could be used to discuss what ‘healthy’ means and how diet is influenced by family.  

Picture Book