My Rice Is Best!

Young Shane absolutely loves a bowl of rice and peas, with its pimento seeds it’s the best rice in the world and nothing can beat it, of that he’s convinced and is thrilled when he’s allowed to take some to school for lunch the following day. However when he produces his lunch box as he sits beside his friend Yinka, she is equally passionate about her jollof rice. A heartfelt standoff between the two ensues and it’s so noisy that lots of other children join in, each claiming supremacy for their version of rice – fried rice, paella, risotto . The disagreement becomes physical until disaster happens and things become very upsetting for Shane. Happily Yinka sees that friendship is the way forward and a tasting and sharing ensues. Maxwell Oginni’s vibrant illustrations capture the emotions of the children brilliantly throughout and that stand off sequence is splendid; so too is the final twist.

Deliciously funny, this is a truly tasty treat to share with young children at home or  in the classroom and a great book to encourage youngsters to taste unfamiliar foods especially dishes from other cultures than their own.