Sophia Payne

Colourful and Sweet, Subverting Gender Expectations.

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.… (more)

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 unbiased review.… (more)