Faruq and the Wiri Wiri
SHORTLISTED FOR THE INCLUSIVE BOOKS FOR CHILDREN AWARDS 2024.
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!
Sophia Payne discovered her passion for writing after a long-standing career in techinical support. She now writes picture books and steers clear of broken computers! Sophia was born and raised in the UK and is half Guyanese, half British. Her writing reflects her Indo-Caribbean heritage, and she lives by the mantra 'be curious, not judgemental.'
Sandhya Prabhat is an independent illustrator and animator. She illustrates childrens' picture books and young adult books, animates for TV and movies, and creates stickers and other social media content for clients including Facebook, Microsoft, Google and Snapchat.
Originally from Chennai, India, Sandyha now lives in California, USA.