Kevin Noble Maillard - Click to see all titles by this author.
Kevin Noble Maillard, law professor, journalist, and member of the Seminole Nation's Mekusukey Band, brings to light the importance of family tradition and the symbolism of a familiar Indigenous food in his first children’s book, Fry Bread.
Kevin’s heartfelt memories are written in free verse, and include reminiscences about his family and a picture of his Aunt Fannie, who taught him to make this traditional staple. He shares that he took on the role of the family fry bread maker after she passed away.
“Food has such a strong imprint on memory because it involves all five senses. When we are younger, we don’t have the same power over words and expression that we do as adults. … So when we encounter food through our senses, … it captures a moment in time that stays with us for a lifetime.”
The book's end papers provide facts about Native American culture, listing large and small tribes, rancherias, villages, and groups that have not received official status. Kevin also warmly includes reflections, anecdotes, and his personal recipe for fry bread.
Kevin is a regular writer for the New York Times, and has interviewed politicians, writers, tribal leaders, and even some movie stars. At age thirteen, he won a fishing derby for catching seventy-two fish in two hours. Originally from Oklahoma, he currently lives with his family on the thirteenth floor of a 115-year old bank in the heart of Manhattan.