Of course you shouldn’t just buy a book by its cover, but if the cover of Annalise: The Special Dish by J De LaVega told you this is a sweet, silly, amusing little story, then judge away.
When I did a little research to learn more about the categories the publisher put it under, this list came about: comics, graphic novels, Hispanic & Latino, social themes, friendship, family, culture, and food. It just really covers a lot of things in a short amount of time. There is nothing that really jumps out, outside of the idea that Annalise is looking for a dish to bring to school that not only fits the theme, but is one of a kind and not repeated by a classmate. But that’s okay. Just floating along, finding out what is happening with our main character is nice.
It is both a story we all can relate to as food and trying to find that “one special thing” is something we all have in common; or could have in common, and a diverse story that covers a culture (in the food and the place Annalise lives in) we might not be familiar with. It just works without being overly aggressive. This is complimented by illustrations that are a bit more bold than the actual story and action, with bright colors and just the right amount of details.
I would like to know a bit more about the actual foods that were introduced to and the students made for their event, but overall a sweet story. I read via online reader, due October 2026.
