Chili Time, Y'all!: How Texas Found Its State Cuisine

Every true Texan knows that the best chili―in fact, the only real chili―can be found only in the Lone Star State. A Bowl of Red makes the taste buds tingle and the heart sing. It is a bowl of tradition, passed down through families and generations, that American humorist Will Rogers once called a “bowl of blessedness.”             This colorful picture book for young readers traces the origins and development of the official state dish of Texas. Did you know that a Texas Ranger was the first person to can chili and sell it outside the state? Can you believe that people in Ohio serve their chili mixed with chocolate! With such fun facts throughout and an authentic Texas chili recipe from Lady Bird Johnson’s White House days, children and adults will turn the pages and find themselves hankering for a bite. Whether you like yours spooned over a baked potato, served with corn chips, or eaten straight from a bowl, it’s chili time, y’all!

Author and librarian Jennifer Coleman was born in Scotland and raised in Texas. She studied elementary education at Angelo State University and earned an MLS from the University of North Texas. Coleman is an active member of the Austin chapter of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators and is the host of her own podcast, Inspo by J.Co. She has even won a chili cook-off or two! She shares a love of ballet with her daughter, who suggested she write The Texas Nutcracker, her first picture book with Pelican. Coleman and her family live in Pflugerville, Texas, where they enjoy being outdoors with their dogs.   Illustrator Kay Meadows is an award-winning artist and illustrator. Her preferred medium is watercolor, but she has worked in pencil, charcoal, pastel, and acrylic. A graphic designer, she has traveled around the world as a Book of Hope Foundation missionary and has worked in the publishing industry, designing and illustrating content for books, including Louisiana Animals ABC, also published by Pelican. She lives in Brandon, Mississippi, where she is inspired by nature and her dogs, cat, and four colorful, noisy chickens.