What do you think?
Rate this book
Faruq and the Wiri Wiri
A Caribbean celebration of family and food - with a spicy twist! There is not a better smell in the world than Ajee's Cook-up rice. The kitchen fills with the smell of coconut, garlic and spices. Faruq loves his grandmother Ajee, and he loves her cooking. In fact, Faruq would like to cook too - he wants to be a chef, but Ajee says he has to be a doctor like his father. But one day when Ajee is too ill to make the family feast, with the help of his neighbour Mrs Joseph, Faruq picks some hot wiri wiri chilli peppers and cooks up a banquet. Preparing food for his family fills Faruq's heart with love - and sets a different course for his future. This sumptuous story celebrates Caribbean culture and food through Sophia Payne's distinct voice that is reflective of her Indo-Guyanese heritage and is brought to life by Sandhya Prabhat's beautiful artwork. It also includes a recipe for Guyanese Lime cookies for you to try at home!
40 pages, Paperback
Published March 16, 2023
1 person is currently reading
30 people want to read
About the author
Sophia Payne
33 books2 followersBritish Indo-Caribbean #kidlit author. Rep'd by @alicelovesbooks. Debut #Faruqandthewiriwiri out now!
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
June 12, 2024
As a Guyanese American it warmed my heart to see this book! It's another one I will be acquiring to gift to my cousin's children down in Guyana. In this book we see young Faruq have an interesting cooking despite his grandmother telling him to focus on becoming a doctor. So he learns how to cook from a kindly neighbor and is soon making all kinds of special dishes with barely any help to share with his family.
March 21, 2023
The book’s bright colours and remarkably-detailed illustrations are immediately eye-catching and I find it hard to believe that young children (or adults!) will be other than enchanted as they follow Faruq’s culinary adventures and experiments in this delightful story, as they share in his joy in preparing a feast which is shared, enjoyed and marvelled at by everyone in his extended family. The fact that he and his family are Indo-Guyanese allows for an exploration of how different cultures have their own traditional recipes and how important it is that these should be retained and handed down from generation to generation. I liked the fact that the author shared the recipe for the delicious sounding ‘Easy-peasy Guyanese Lime Cookies’ with her young readers … although I must admit that, as I found my mouth watering when reading about all the other dishes being prepared, I found myself wishing that she had included more than one recipe!
It’s a story which is remarkably wide-ranging in the themes it embraces, as well as the learning opportunities it offers in encouraging young readers to ask questions, to think about cultural differences, about how we can learn from other people, develop new skills and how important food is as a means by which to show love and caring, and to strengthen family and friendship bonds. I was also very impressed by how, in an entirely age-appropriate way, the story challenges gender stereotyping and encourages youngsters to believe that it’s good to follow their dreams rather than feel forced to conform to other people’s expectations.
I enjoyed the rhythm of the language and the fact that culturally-specific patterns of speech were included and feel sure this will be equally appealing to young children. However, bearing in mind the very young age of the children this book was written for, and the potential for confusion over certain spellings if they are just beginning to learn how to read and write, I think this is a story which should probably be read aloud by an adult. On the other hand, for any child who enjoys trying to follow the text, this use of a particular patois offers a teaching opportunity for the adult to explain why there are sometimes differences between how we speak and how we write.
I feel sure that this delightful story, with its endearing main character, is destined to become a firm favourite with its young audience.
With thanks to the publisher and Readers First for sending me a copy in exchange for an honest review.
It’s a story which is remarkably wide-ranging in the themes it embraces, as well as the learning opportunities it offers in encouraging young readers to ask questions, to think about cultural differences, about how we can learn from other people, develop new skills and how important food is as a means by which to show love and caring, and to strengthen family and friendship bonds. I was also very impressed by how, in an entirely age-appropriate way, the story challenges gender stereotyping and encourages youngsters to believe that it’s good to follow their dreams rather than feel forced to conform to other people’s expectations.
I enjoyed the rhythm of the language and the fact that culturally-specific patterns of speech were included and feel sure this will be equally appealing to young children. However, bearing in mind the very young age of the children this book was written for, and the potential for confusion over certain spellings if they are just beginning to learn how to read and write, I think this is a story which should probably be read aloud by an adult. On the other hand, for any child who enjoys trying to follow the text, this use of a particular patois offers a teaching opportunity for the adult to explain why there are sometimes differences between how we speak and how we write.
I feel sure that this delightful story, with its endearing main character, is destined to become a firm favourite with its young audience.
With thanks to the publisher and Readers First for sending me a copy in exchange for an honest review.
March 21, 2023
Who doesn’t love a bright colourful book set in a beautiful Caribbean location and filled with glorious food? Faruq and the Wiri Wiri features all this and much, much more.
Faruq is a young boy living in Guyana. He loves food and wants to help cook but he is told that he needs to forget this as studying is more important and that he is to become a doctor.
One day his neighbour offers to teach him to cook and Faruq loves it and is a natural in the kitchen. His family soon realise that sometimes it better to let children follow their dreams.
Faruq and the Wiri Wiri is a real mix of vibrant illustrations, meaningful words, and mouth-watering foods – Oh how I wish this book was filled with the scents of the food too. It features adorable Faruq who doesn’t understand why boys can’t be chefs and his loveable neighbour who takes him under her wings and decides to teach him how to cook if his family won’t.
From the first page to the last children will be invested in this book. It is such a beautiful read and even features a recipe at the back of the book for Lime Cookies too which sound delicious and will be being made very soon.
I hope that this is the start of a wonderful series of books from author Sophia Payne about Faruq and his cooking, as I’m sure the books would be a big hit and open doors to a culture that many young children most likely don’t know about, including foods they probably will never have heard of either. Like I’d never heard of Wiri Wiri (peppers) until I read this book 🙃.
Faruq is a young boy living in Guyana. He loves food and wants to help cook but he is told that he needs to forget this as studying is more important and that he is to become a doctor.
One day his neighbour offers to teach him to cook and Faruq loves it and is a natural in the kitchen. His family soon realise that sometimes it better to let children follow their dreams.
Faruq and the Wiri Wiri is a real mix of vibrant illustrations, meaningful words, and mouth-watering foods – Oh how I wish this book was filled with the scents of the food too. It features adorable Faruq who doesn’t understand why boys can’t be chefs and his loveable neighbour who takes him under her wings and decides to teach him how to cook if his family won’t.
From the first page to the last children will be invested in this book. It is such a beautiful read and even features a recipe at the back of the book for Lime Cookies too which sound delicious and will be being made very soon.
I hope that this is the start of a wonderful series of books from author Sophia Payne about Faruq and his cooking, as I’m sure the books would be a big hit and open doors to a culture that many young children most likely don’t know about, including foods they probably will never have heard of either. Like I’d never heard of Wiri Wiri (peppers) until I read this book 🙃.
March 19, 2023
😋🍪BOOK TOUR REVIEW🍪😋
Faruq And Wiri Wiri by @sophiap_author & @sandhyaprabhat
Huge thank you too @eleanormrosee at @templarbooks for our #gifted copy of the book and our spot in the tour.
Raff really enjoyed this story and has decided that he too wants to help with the cooking like Faruq.
We really enjoyed the different things that Faruq learned to cook and would love to know the recipes for the other things that were mentioned in the story. It would be a great companion to have a child friendly recipe book alongside this story.
Raff really liked the illustrations and how the words flowed across the pages and he enjoyed mixing the ingredients for the cookies together! He wasn’t a fan of the stickiness of the mixture when he came to roll them but Sophia gave us this tip for next time “Aww, please tell Raff that I find the mixture very sticky to touch too. If you pop the bowl in the fridge for an hour or so first, then it won’t stick to your hands quite as much.”
Everyone loved the Guyanese Lime Cookies so no doubt we will be making these again and likely in a bigger amount because they didn’t even last 24hrs 😂
We will definitely be keeping an eye out for more books from this author and hopefully some more recipes 😋
#FaruqAndTheWiriWiri #TemplarBooks #KidFriendlyRecipe #Yummy #GuyaneseLimeCookies
Faruq And Wiri Wiri by @sophiap_author & @sandhyaprabhat
Huge thank you too @eleanormrosee at @templarbooks for our #gifted copy of the book and our spot in the tour.
Raff really enjoyed this story and has decided that he too wants to help with the cooking like Faruq.
We really enjoyed the different things that Faruq learned to cook and would love to know the recipes for the other things that were mentioned in the story. It would be a great companion to have a child friendly recipe book alongside this story.
Raff really liked the illustrations and how the words flowed across the pages and he enjoyed mixing the ingredients for the cookies together! He wasn’t a fan of the stickiness of the mixture when he came to roll them but Sophia gave us this tip for next time “Aww, please tell Raff that I find the mixture very sticky to touch too. If you pop the bowl in the fridge for an hour or so first, then it won’t stick to your hands quite as much.”
Everyone loved the Guyanese Lime Cookies so no doubt we will be making these again and likely in a bigger amount because they didn’t even last 24hrs 😂
We will definitely be keeping an eye out for more books from this author and hopefully some more recipes 😋
#FaruqAndTheWiriWiri #TemplarBooks #KidFriendlyRecipe #Yummy #GuyaneseLimeCookies
Read
March 12, 2023This was such a cute story. From the cover the illustrations were eye catching and captivating, bold and bright to draw the reader in.
The book tells the story of Faruq, a little boy who has grown up watching his grandmother Ajee cooking exotic and spicy foods for the whole family.
He sees the pleasure it gives her to put good food on the table and to feed those whom she loves and he wants nothing more than to be like her when he is older.
But when he grows up he is expected to follow in his father's footsteps and become a doctor so grandma is reluctant to teach him.
He eventually asks his neighbour Mrs. Joseph to teach him the basics and how to use the Wiri Wiri pepper correctly.
He has a wonderful time learning under Mrs. Joseph and his new found skills stand him in good stead when his grandmother becomes sick and can't cook the big family dinner one day.
Faruq steps in and with a bit of overseeing from his neighbour he fills the table with wholesome, homecooked food.
This shows him he can follow his heart and he has a talent for cookery.
This was a lovely story of family, roots, food and culture and how it blends together and becomes not just a matter of eating but a whole family and community occasion.
Inspiring tale of kids finding their own way, talents and interests.
The book tells the story of Faruq, a little boy who has grown up watching his grandmother Ajee cooking exotic and spicy foods for the whole family.
He sees the pleasure it gives her to put good food on the table and to feed those whom she loves and he wants nothing more than to be like her when he is older.
But when he grows up he is expected to follow in his father's footsteps and become a doctor so grandma is reluctant to teach him.
He eventually asks his neighbour Mrs. Joseph to teach him the basics and how to use the Wiri Wiri pepper correctly.
He has a wonderful time learning under Mrs. Joseph and his new found skills stand him in good stead when his grandmother becomes sick and can't cook the big family dinner one day.
Faruq steps in and with a bit of overseeing from his neighbour he fills the table with wholesome, homecooked food.
This shows him he can follow his heart and he has a talent for cookery.
This was a lovely story of family, roots, food and culture and how it blends together and becomes not just a matter of eating but a whole family and community occasion.
Inspiring tale of kids finding their own way, talents and interests.
March 26, 2023
Faruq and the Wiri Wiri is a lovely story about a young boy, Faruq, who wants to be a chef but is told he should follow in the footsteps of his father and become a doctor instead. When his grandmother is ill one day Faruq steps up to cook the meal and show everyone how much he enjoys his passion of cooking.
This is such a nice book that shows that you should always follow your passions. I think it's great how we get to see Faruq showing how much he loves his family and wants to cook for them but also how we get to learn a bit about the Caribbean culture and food. The children weren't too sure that they'd want to try any of the food but they liked seeing what the family were eating!
The illustrations are so colourful and eye catching and they give a good feel to what it's like culturally for Faruq and his family. The children enjoyed seeing all of the cooking that Faruq was doing, particularly when he was baking the cookies and they also liked watching him play football too!
The recipe at the end of the story is a lovely way to end the book. We've not tried them but they do sound delicious.
We really enjoyed reading this story and it is a nice way to learn a bit about another culture and it's food through Faruq and his cooking.
This is such a nice book that shows that you should always follow your passions. I think it's great how we get to see Faruq showing how much he loves his family and wants to cook for them but also how we get to learn a bit about the Caribbean culture and food. The children weren't too sure that they'd want to try any of the food but they liked seeing what the family were eating!
The illustrations are so colourful and eye catching and they give a good feel to what it's like culturally for Faruq and his family. The children enjoyed seeing all of the cooking that Faruq was doing, particularly when he was baking the cookies and they also liked watching him play football too!
The recipe at the end of the story is a lovely way to end the book. We've not tried them but they do sound delicious.
We really enjoyed reading this story and it is a nice way to learn a bit about another culture and it's food through Faruq and his cooking.
April 17, 2024
This beautifully illustrated picture book, shows family love, traditional foods, community, and culture in a sweet and inviting way. I read a digital copy and there was no backmatter, but when Googling to learn more about wiri wiri, if Faruq is only a Muslim name, and what cook-up rice entails, I saw that physical copies have a recipe for the Guyanese Lime Cookies. My first any only real complaint was the lack of recipes, but clearly it was just lacking in the format I read, and thus I'm not sure if there is additional backmatter about this Caribbean set book. As an Islamic school librarian reviewing from an Islamic lens, I should note there is no indication that the characters are Muslim or have any ties to Islam, it is possible the name Faruq was simply brought as part of the Indian influence on the region, much like the mango lassi mentioned.
Faruq wants to cook, but his grandma shoos him away to study and play outside. One day he finds himself at the neighbors house and begins learning how to cook and bake from her, the lady that taught his Ajee. Slowly but surely, Faruq learns about the ingredients, the methods, and puts his skills to the test when Ajee falls ill. A beautiful book for all shelves, and a great starting point to learn more about this rich culture.
Faruq wants to cook, but his grandma shoos him away to study and play outside. One day he finds himself at the neighbors house and begins learning how to cook and bake from her, the lady that taught his Ajee. Slowly but surely, Faruq learns about the ingredients, the methods, and puts his skills to the test when Ajee falls ill. A beautiful book for all shelves, and a great starting point to learn more about this rich culture.
March 14, 2023
I was so excited to read the rest of this book after reading the extract for first impression. The book was so colourful, it held the attention of my nearly 4 year old for the entire reading of this book. It amazingly also held the attention of my 1.5 year old for parts of the book. Most importantly I can taste the words, the pictures and their cooking as we read. It also come with a recipe at the back of the book, which I’ve yet to try, but my 4 year old is excited to! The writing reflects what I assumed is the Guyanese way of speaking which is very awesome - we need more books that reflects the ethnicities. I found myself reading it the “proper” way at times in case my impressionable preschooler follows it. I’m learning to tell her that this is just the way Guyanese speak, just like Malaysian has their “lah” at the end of their sentences. It also talks about gender stereotypes which is exactly what we need nowadays to ensure we continue to cultivate empathetic, open minded, creative minds for the future generations. Thank you Sophia Payne and Sandhya Prabhat for the advanced review copy.
August 21, 2023
A really lovely book for families to read together or for a classroom. Faruq loves helping his grandmother in the kitchen and wants to be a chef in the future, but all his family tell him he should become a doctor like his father.
Still Faruq secretly goes to his neighbour’s house every day and learns to cook with her, fascinated by the ingredients like the hot wiri wiri pepper that grows in the garden.
One Sunday when his grandma isn’t feeling well, but was supposed to make a big lunch for the family get-together, Faruq steps in to save the day!
He uses everything he’s learnt from Mrs Joseph and even adds some twists of his own.
As well as being a lovely read in its own right, this book will surely encourage families to get the kids involved in cooking, in turn sparking a curiosity about food, fostering collaboration and bringing people together. The Guyanese flavours will also encourage adventurous palates and I can imagine this inspiring families to try new recipes together.
The book even features a recipe for lime cookies which are Faruq’s first bake with Mrs Joseph, which I am yet to try but I will definitely be making them!
Still Faruq secretly goes to his neighbour’s house every day and learns to cook with her, fascinated by the ingredients like the hot wiri wiri pepper that grows in the garden.
One Sunday when his grandma isn’t feeling well, but was supposed to make a big lunch for the family get-together, Faruq steps in to save the day!
He uses everything he’s learnt from Mrs Joseph and even adds some twists of his own.
As well as being a lovely read in its own right, this book will surely encourage families to get the kids involved in cooking, in turn sparking a curiosity about food, fostering collaboration and bringing people together. The Guyanese flavours will also encourage adventurous palates and I can imagine this inspiring families to try new recipes together.
The book even features a recipe for lime cookies which are Faruq’s first bake with Mrs Joseph, which I am yet to try but I will definitely be making them!
March 15, 2023
I look forward to sharing this with my nieces!
Faruq and the Wiri Wiri is a very sweet children's books about food, curiosity and gender expectations.
I was overjoyed opening the book when it arrived, it is so colourful and beautifully printed. The illustrations are all creative and detailed, perfect for little eyes to roam and discover.
I love children's books which feature different countries, and introduce kids to places and concepts they may not have encountered before. It's also lovely to think of children with Guyanese heritage finding a book where they can see themselves and their family's culture reflected.
The gender expectations in this book are gently subverted, in a sweet and unoffensive way. I would give this as a gift without worrying about how it would be received.
Even as an adult I feel that I benefited from learning a little about the Guyanese food culture from this sweet book, and look forward to trying spicy barley soup and lime cookies!
Highly recommended.
Faruq and the Wiri Wiri is a very sweet children's books about food, curiosity and gender expectations.
I was overjoyed opening the book when it arrived, it is so colourful and beautifully printed. The illustrations are all creative and detailed, perfect for little eyes to roam and discover.
I love children's books which feature different countries, and introduce kids to places and concepts they may not have encountered before. It's also lovely to think of children with Guyanese heritage finding a book where they can see themselves and their family's culture reflected.
The gender expectations in this book are gently subverted, in a sweet and unoffensive way. I would give this as a gift without worrying about how it would be received.
Even as an adult I feel that I benefited from learning a little about the Guyanese food culture from this sweet book, and look forward to trying spicy barley soup and lime cookies!
Highly recommended.
March 11, 2023
This book is beautiful. Not only are all on the illustrations wonderful but the words and storyline are amazing.
I have recently been talking about sensory stories at work and the fact this came with a recipe will work so well. Being able to smell the cookies whilst reading the book will really help my learners.
The story line follows the journey of the characters culture and is centred around family. It shows that young people do not need to follow someone else’s path to be happy. The fact he seeks out someone else as a role model shows his commitment to cooking and the fact he wants to help with something he believes he is talented at, this is a beautiful and important story for young people to read.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and I know the people I work with will love it too.
A great book that is highly recommended and will teach pathways for people to follow in life.
I have recently been talking about sensory stories at work and the fact this came with a recipe will work so well. Being able to smell the cookies whilst reading the book will really help my learners.
The story line follows the journey of the characters culture and is centred around family. It shows that young people do not need to follow someone else’s path to be happy. The fact he seeks out someone else as a role model shows his commitment to cooking and the fact he wants to help with something he believes he is talented at, this is a beautiful and important story for young people to read.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and I know the people I work with will love it too.
A great book that is highly recommended and will teach pathways for people to follow in life.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 13, 2023
Homely Caribbean story time
This book was an absolute treat. The front cover is beautifully illustrated and draws you to a book that is filled with pages of further illustrations that completely engage with the tale that is told. This story shows the warm, close bonds a little boy has with his family, which is especially strong with his grandma. Faruq is fascinated by his grandma’s cooking and the wiri wiri peppers she uses. When his mother is too poorly to cook, for a family get together, he takes over under the watchful eye of grandma. Cooking is his passion, although his parents would rather he came a doctor, they are pleasantly surprised about his skills in the kitchen as he saves the day. An excellent early introduction to Caribbean/Guyanese speech and culture for young children with an added bonus of an authentic Guyanese biscuit recipe at the end of the book.
This book was an absolute treat. The front cover is beautifully illustrated and draws you to a book that is filled with pages of further illustrations that completely engage with the tale that is told. This story shows the warm, close bonds a little boy has with his family, which is especially strong with his grandma. Faruq is fascinated by his grandma’s cooking and the wiri wiri peppers she uses. When his mother is too poorly to cook, for a family get together, he takes over under the watchful eye of grandma. Cooking is his passion, although his parents would rather he came a doctor, they are pleasantly surprised about his skills in the kitchen as he saves the day. An excellent early introduction to Caribbean/Guyanese speech and culture for young children with an added bonus of an authentic Guyanese biscuit recipe at the end of the book.
March 14, 2023
Faruq and the Wiri Wiri is a wonderful book for children that helps them to learn to be themselves and to try the things they want to do. Faruq loves his grandma's cooking and would love to try it himself, but she says he must be a doctor like his father. He is feeling a bit disheartened by her word but becomes enamoured by the wiri wire peppers growing in the garden. He must learn to cook, he tells himself and when Grandma feels too sick to make the big lunch for Faruq and his family, he must think quickly to come up with a plan to help. Faruq and the Wiri Wiri, as it says on the cover is "a celebration of family and food" and it most certainly is. The beautiful illustrations and descriptive writing really highlight the importance of food in all cultures and how it should be celebrated! I really enjoyed this book and would recommend it for anyone of all ages!
March 30, 2023
Faruq is a boy who has grown up since a young child watching his grandmother Ajee cooking food for the whole family.
He sees the joy it gives her to see the food enjoyed by others and the pleasure it gives them to eat it.
All he wants to do is follow in her footsteps, yet his father has already chosen his career path as a doctor just like him.
So sadly Ajee doesn't teach him much about cooking at all.
Eventually he turns to their neighbour, Mrs. Joseph who teaches him basic cookery and to use the famous wiri wiri.
He loves his time learning with Mrs. Joseph and his practice comes into its own when one day Ajee falls sick.
She can't cook for the family that day so instead Faruq takes over and finally his family see what he can do on his own with cooking.
This was a charming story about following your dreams in the face of everyone thinking otherwise.
Such a good read.
He sees the joy it gives her to see the food enjoyed by others and the pleasure it gives them to eat it.
All he wants to do is follow in her footsteps, yet his father has already chosen his career path as a doctor just like him.
So sadly Ajee doesn't teach him much about cooking at all.
Eventually he turns to their neighbour, Mrs. Joseph who teaches him basic cookery and to use the famous wiri wiri.
He loves his time learning with Mrs. Joseph and his practice comes into its own when one day Ajee falls sick.
She can't cook for the family that day so instead Faruq takes over and finally his family see what he can do on his own with cooking.
This was a charming story about following your dreams in the face of everyone thinking otherwise.
Such a good read.
April 14, 2023
This was a lovely story about following your dreams and overcoming family expectations and negativity. Faruq dreams of becoming a chef when he is older, and wants to help his grandmother with the cooking, but his family want him to become a doctor. In the story, Faruq gets the chance to learn to cook and prove his family wrong. The story celebrates Guyanese food and culture and I love that it also includes a real Guyanese recipe at the end which you can follow. The illustrations in the book are beautiful and vibrant, making them perfect for young readers. The story is engaging and the text is easy to follow. I enjoyed this read and would recommend it for children aged 6-10. I will be adding this to my Year 4 classroom book corner for the children to read and enjoy. This could be read to younger children by an adult or independently by more confident readers. I rated it 5 stars.
Read
May 1, 2024Faruq's grandmother Ajee's Caribbean kitchen is filled with the smell of coconut, garlic and spices. Ajee instils a love of cooking in Fauq, inspiring his future career.
Faruq and the Wiri Wiri sparks conversations about cultural appreciation, the joy of cooking, and the role family traditions play in shaping our identities.
Discussion Questions
How does Faruq's passion for cooking influence his relationship with his family and culture?
How does the author use sensory details to bring the Caribbean culture and cuisine to life?
Can you relate to Faruq's joy when he cooks for his family?
How does the book show the importance of family traditions in shaping our future?
How does the story inspire appreciation for our cultural heritage?
How does the story show the transformative power of food?
Faruq and the Wiri Wiri sparks conversations about cultural appreciation, the joy of cooking, and the role family traditions play in shaping our identities.
Discussion Questions
How does Faruq's passion for cooking influence his relationship with his family and culture?
How does the author use sensory details to bring the Caribbean culture and cuisine to life?
Can you relate to Faruq's joy when he cooks for his family?
How does the book show the importance of family traditions in shaping our future?
How does the story inspire appreciation for our cultural heritage?
How does the story show the transformative power of food?
April 24, 2025
Faruq wants to learn to cook, but his grandmother says he should focus on his studies. He's disappointed until his neighbor teaches him how to cook when she catches him looking at the wiri wiri plant. There is lots of cooking talk and lots of different ingredients shown. Images are bright and playful like the story. Shows that food and cooking can be acts of love.
June 21, 2025
For starters, a wiri wiri pepper is a staple in Guyanese culture and similar to a habanero. So think spicy. Anyway, I'm just going to say again how I LOVE food books. I love exploring other cultures. And this one about discovering new ingredients, and helping loved ones through one's food, just speaks to my soul!
April 24, 2025
Awww this book gave me all the warm fuzzies! There's a lot expertly packed into this book - it's a story about intergenerational friendship, gender expectations, cooking, generosity, and culture all rolled into one. I absolutely loved it.
August 11, 2024
I am a sucker for abuela stories!
I loved this story about food, curiosity, and letting children be who they want (a cook!). The artwork especially was gorgeous, the colors vibrant—even the lettering was so well done. Plus, I wanted to eat everything made in the book.
I loved this story about food, curiosity, and letting children be who they want (a cook!). The artwork especially was gorgeous, the colors vibrant—even the lettering was so well done. Plus, I wanted to eat everything made in the book.
April 19, 2023
Thanks to Readers First for sending me an advanced copy of this book. I was really drawn by the bright and colourful pages and front cover and think it will really help it to appeal to young children . It’s also great that it includes a recipe for Guyanese lime cookies which is one of the items Faruq prepares during the book. I only didn’t rate it higher because I was sad by the gender stereotypes that still played out in the book. Faruq’s grandma, Ajee, wont teach him how to cook because he can’t grow up to be a chef - she literally tells he he has to be a doctor like his father. I’m not sure I would want children to be exposed to those sorts of outdated ideas - she won’t let him help and sends him out to play football where he ends up sneaking across to the old lady next door who does teach him how to cook and then he surprises his family by preparing a feast when Ajee is too ill to cook. Obviously it’s heart-warming that Ajee changes her attitude and Faruq is able to pursue his dreams but it’s maddening he wasn’t allowed to in the first place! I still love the pictures by Sandhya Prabhat and the celebration of the food and culture and the author, Sophia Payne has done a great job of expressing that through each page.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 31, 2023
"There is not a better smell in the world than Ajee's Cook-up rice. The kitchen fills with the smell of coconut, garlic and spices. Faruq loves his grandmother Ajee, and he loves her cooking. In fact, Faruq would like to cook too - he wants to be a chef, but Ajee says he has to be a doctor like his father.
But one day when Ajee is too ill to make the family feast, with the help of his neighbour Mrs Joseph, Faruq picks some hot wiri wiri chilli peppers and cooks up a banquet. Preparing food for his family fills Faruq's heart with love - and sets a different course for his future."
I could smell the Caribbean cooking emanating from the gorgeous aromatic illustrations and seeping out from the lovely colourful language used in the book. I devoured it, savoured it, and went back from seconds.
I read it to my grandchildren too and they enjoyed seeing Faruq delevop and we can't wait to make the lime cookies from the recipe, thank you.
But one day when Ajee is too ill to make the family feast, with the help of his neighbour Mrs Joseph, Faruq picks some hot wiri wiri chilli peppers and cooks up a banquet. Preparing food for his family fills Faruq's heart with love - and sets a different course for his future."
I could smell the Caribbean cooking emanating from the gorgeous aromatic illustrations and seeping out from the lovely colourful language used in the book. I devoured it, savoured it, and went back from seconds.
I read it to my grandchildren too and they enjoyed seeing Faruq delevop and we can't wait to make the lime cookies from the recipe, thank you.
June 8, 2023
It is always time to celebrate food, anyone who has ever read a picturebook will know for stories about food are scrumptious, delicious and very more-some. When that story is about food that is from another culture, and it includes a recipe so you too can try the yummy looking food for yourself then you know you have found a book that is going to be a big hit! In a vibrant celebration of Caribbean culture Sophia Payne let’s her distinctive voice reflect her own heritage, Indo-Gyuanese, celebrate another and bring us a lip-lickingly good story. Illustrated by Sandhya Prabhat this is a story that will have you wanting to come back for seconds and maybe even thirds!
Ajee makes the very best cook-up rice, its smell, well there is nothing better, when she is cooking it the kitchen is filled with the smells of coconut, garlic and spices, yum! Someone in the family is a fan of Ajee’s cooking, her grandson Faruq loves it and he would like to learn how to cook too, he would like nothing more than to be a chef when he is older. Sadly grandmother doesn’t agree, she things that, just like his father, he should be a doctor. Then one day Ajee is too poorly to make the family feast and, with the help of his neighbour Faruq steps in and cooks up a veritable banquet complete with wiri wiri peppers. This experience could be the turning point for both grandmother and Faruq.
Ajee makes the very best cook-up rice, its smell, well there is nothing better, when she is cooking it the kitchen is filled with the smells of coconut, garlic and spices, yum! Someone in the family is a fan of Ajee’s cooking, her grandson Faruq loves it and he would like to learn how to cook too, he would like nothing more than to be a chef when he is older. Sadly grandmother doesn’t agree, she things that, just like his father, he should be a doctor. Then one day Ajee is too poorly to make the family feast and, with the help of his neighbour Faruq steps in and cooks up a veritable banquet complete with wiri wiri peppers. This experience could be the turning point for both grandmother and Faruq.
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews