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What's wrong with Jamaican Christmas Cake? Everything, if it's not American!
Raymond is moving with his family from Kingston, Jamaica to Queens, New York and he can’t wait to show everyone how American he can be! Whether it’s through books, magazines, music videos and movies, he learns about America in any way he can, even if some of his sources of information are out-dated. However, on Raymond’s first day of school in America, his every attempt to impress everyone with his “American-ness” backfires. What’s worse, his new classmates doubt if he’s Jamaican at all. It’s not until Raymond remembers what he loves most about being Jamaican – making Jamaican Christmas cake – and shares it with his new classmates, that he gains the courage to be himself.
It'll Be Irie will captivate young readers’ hearts with the story of a head-strong immigrant child's humorous attempt to embrace a new cultural environment. In addition, it also offers readers a figurative taste of the underrepresented culture of Jamaica.
Published Reviews
"An ideal guide for readers of any age to learn how to be an ally.”
- Kirkus Reviews, Starred Review
"Allyship is so important! Especially right now! I love that this layered picture book (with a diverse cast of characters!) uses the refrain “like that Eleanor” to show the many ways Eleanor Roosevelt strived to make things more fair for marginalized communities. Inspired by her namesake, Eleanor decides to be an ally after witnessing several unfair situations at school. I don’t want to give any spoliers, so I’ll just say I love the resolution spot illustrations and the final spread. Be an ally! Be a friend! LIKE THAT ELEANOR: THE AMAZING POWER OF BEING AN ALLY by Lee Wind and Kelly Mangan is a beautiful and empowering picture book that belongs in every classroom!"
-A.J. Irving, Goodreads 5 Star Review
This is a beautiful book about advocating for what you believe in and being an ally. When the main character notices 'sometimes things are so unfair' their dads provide real-life examples of humans in history who have stood up for others when things felt unfair. The examples they offer are easily digestible for young readers. And they helped to empower the main character (and the reader) to do be an ally when things feel unfair. I love the message of this book and enjoyed the conversations it started with my children. The art was gorgeous and included lots of diversity and fun details. I particularly liked the use of black and white to signify a flashback.
This book is an ally, and you can be one too.
-Tara Hannon, Amazon 5 Star Review