A Fine Dessert

Written by Emily Jenkins · Illustrated by Sophie Blackall

Four families, four centuries, one dessert. Discover how life changes through a simple recipe.

4.0 Goodreads · 2,521 ratings

40 pages· 882 words· Est. 7 min read-aloud· AD700L

$18.99Save 5%

In stock. Also at Amazon or Bookshop.

Bookroo's summary

Journey through time with four families as they prepare the same dessert, blackberry fool, across four centuries. From 1710 England to present-day San Diego, witness the evolution of daily life, technology, and family dynamics. Each era brings unique challenges and traditions, revealing how much has changed—and how much remains the same. What stories do these shared moments tell about our past and present? Includes a recipe to try at home.

From the publisher

From highly acclaimed author Jenkins and Caldecott Medal–winning illustrator Blackall comes a fascinating picture book in which four families, in four different cities, over four centuries, make the same delicious dessert: blackberry fool. This richly detailed book ingeniously shows how food, technology, and even families have changed throughout American history.

In 1710, a girl and her mother in Lyme, England, prepare a blackberry fool, picking wild blackberries and beating cream from their cow with a bundle of twigs. The same dessert is prepared by an enslaved girl and her mother in 1810 in Charleston, South Carolina; by a mother and daughter in 1910 in Boston; and finally by a boy and his father in present-day San Diego.

Kids and parents alike will delight in discovering the differences in daily life over the course of four centuries.

Includes a recipe for blackberry fool and notes from the author and illustrator about their research.