It’s a little-known Revolutionary War story, and well told: A kind, portly German-born baker, known for feeding his iced gingerbread to the hungry children of Philadelphia, joined General Washington’s troops and kept them well fed through the war. But his biggest triumph came when a flotilla of German ships appeared in American waters, hired by the king of England. The baker rowed out to the men, regaling them with tales of his gingerbread and assurances that in America there was always enough food, until they deserted. An author’s note fills in more of the story, including the heartening fact that Washington had the baker produce 6,000 pounds of bread to feed hungry British troops after they surrendered. Kirsch’s jovial cut-paper illustrations, in warm tones of ginger and cinnamon, complement the playful patriotism of Rockliff’s text.
Read more at The New York Times.
Image source The New York Times.
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