It's Party Time!!

Yolanda T. Marshall and Subi Bosa have come together to bring us the sounds and smells of the Caribbean and West Africa in their picture book My Socal Birthday Party with Jollof Rice & Steel Pans.

All of Anne’s friends want to plan a surprise birthday party for her so they come together to make a grand plan for the evening. They know for sure the party needs food and start talking about Anne’s favourite plus their family’s specialties. There is jollof rice and plantain, roti, chapati and pelau. They also know there MUST be music and soca is Anne’s favourite. They combine together to make sure there is steel pan and marimba music just for Anne.

Reading this book in 2020/2021 there is a feeling of nostalgia for gatherings like we used to have. We will get back there one day and you can use this book as a guide to plan the most epic soca party when we emerge from this COVID haze. Children get to hear about all the different kinds of foods that are enjoyed through the Caribbean and West Africa and how those cultures share similar dishes with different names. They will also learn about soca music and steel pans. If readers are not familiar with soca, you can pull up youtube and find a wealth of amazing content. Yolanda T. Marshall also shares the recipe for jollof rice at the end of the book so you can try it for yourselves.

The illustrations by Subi Bosa are lively and vibrant, perfectly reflecting the party vibe and the collaboration between all the friends.