Chowder Rules! Book Review

Chowder Rules!: The True Story of an Epic Food Fight 

Written by Anna Crowley Redding

Illustrated by Vita Lane

Published by Islandport Press, October, 2020

Mom's Review
Chowder Rules! is wild to think about and quite frankly hilarious because of the absurdity of litigating the inclusion of tomatoes in a recipe. Delightful narration meshes seamlessly with the illustrations to envelop the reader in the historic drama and infect her with the need to learn the outcome of the controversy.

 
Cleveland Sleeper, Jr.'s proposed bill outlawing tomatoes in chowder stirs up a frenzy across the nation, catching the attention of a Philly restaurateur who proposes a cook-off instead of a legal battle. Sleeper agrees, much to the reader's advantage, as the sensational story is kicked up a notch. At this point, Redding and Lane have the reader fully invested in the tomato or no tomato debate. They have created the ideal offering of an adrenline-inducing page-turner of a non-fiction picture book.