What’s in Alanna’s Secret Sauce?

Ever cooked up a home-made tomato sauce? Sure, it’s easier just to open a jar or a can of the stuff, but when the garden is full of veggies just begging to be turned into soup or sauce, well, why not make it from scratch? The opening pages of What’s in Alanna’s Secret Sauce? tell us more than what’s cooking in that big pot. It also tells us something about nine-year-old Alanna. Although she and her grandmother have worked on that very productive garden together, for some reason, she sees it only as her project. Later, when the sauce is cooked, ready to be ladled into jars, Alanna is not interested in sharing the bounty with others: “I picked clean each vine, the sauce is mine, /I’ll keep it all myself!” (p. 6)

As the sauce simmers on the stove, its scent is mouth-watering. First one passer-by smells it, and then another, and both times, Alanna’s Nan generously extends an offer to come back for supper later in the day. Alanna is not keen on the idea; if Nan keeps sharing, the sauce supply will run out, but her grandmother is adamant that their sauce will put a smile on faces and feed more than a few hungry people. As the sauce’s aroma wafts through their town, more and more people come by to sample it, and Alanna continues to worry that there won’t be enough. Nan assures her that “you’ll see that food is plentiful, /And will meet all our needs.” (p. 14) What goes with the “secret sauce”? Not just the usual spaghetti. The diners bring food gifts of all kinds, and some offer prayers of thanks for the gift of Nan’s generosity.

Is there enough sauce for everyone? Of course, and, in fact, there’s twice as much as is needed. As Alanna serves it up and sees the smiles of the happy diners, her heart warms, and she realizes that her fears that they’d run out of sauce are completely unfounded. There must be some secret, some magic in that sauce. There’s no magic, Nan tells her, just the power of sharing whatever one has with others: “If everyone would do their part – Contribute what they’re able,/There’ll always be enough for all,/If just brought to the table.” (p. 24)

Alanna saves her grandmother’s handwritten recipe and, as an adult, becomes a well-known chef. With her own grandchildren, Alanna maintains the tradition that her Nan began; she feeds their hearts, minds and, yes, their tummies, with food that she has grown herself. She knows that the secret to the sauce is not in the ingredients that go into the stockpot but in the willingness to share it with others.

What’s in Alanna’s Secret Sauce? is a truly delightful story about the value of growing and cooking your own food, and of sharing it with others. Nan shares her skill at gardening and at cooking and, with gentle patience, teaches her granddaughter a valuable lesson about generosity. By the end of the story, Alanna has changed from being a nine-year-old, highly possessive of the garden and of the sauce, into a mature woman who understands the value of her Nan’s lessons and passes them on to her grandkids.

Sarah Jane Conklin’s rhymed story is easy-to-read and makes for a perfect “read-aloud” for kids in the early years. Venus Angelica’s illustrations are colourful, with simple, stylized figures depicting the many folks who are captivated by the smell of that wonderful sauce. The introductory page of the book contains a quote by Bono, lead singer of the rock band, U2, and who is well-known for his philanthropic work. “If you want to eliminate hunger, everybody has to be involved.” As the aroma of the secret sauce wafts through Nan and Alanna’s town, more and more people become involved in the potluck dinner that takes place at Nan’s house. They bring food to accompany the spaghetti and sauce, they dine together, and they help to clean up afterwards. A community comes together, and it’s all because that sauce is shared. Sharing – that’s the secret in Alanna’s secret sauce.