Review Detail

What a beautiful book! The following is part of a poem in the book and gives you a glimpse of the beautifully written words and the soul that carries throughout:
"One family, many beliefs
The beauty of faith,
tradition, and love"
It truly is a book filled with beauty, faith, tradition, and love.
Olu, an 8-year-old Nigerian girl whose household holds to both Catholic and Muslim traditions, is traveling to Ijebu to spend Eid with her Muslim family. There she plays traditional games with cousins, sees street vendors, and helps aunties cook for the feasts—all presented in a back-and-forth of equally beautiful prose and poetry, with vibrant illustrations that further the soulful feel. Included in the back of the book were nonfiction sections on Nigeria; traditional food, games, and fashion; pronunciation guides for the interspersed Yoruba; author and illustrator notes; and my personal favorite, a recipe for Nigerian Puff Puff.
I loved every word of this book and have already shared with my library patrons. I do recommend this for kids older than the suggested 4+ age range, as it is quite wordy and requires a lot of explanation for younger readers, who tend not to have the required attention span.