COOKING AND FOOD

FARUQ AND THE WIRI WIRI (Sophia Payne, Sandhya Prabhat)

Faruq and the Wiri Wiri (Templar, 2023) is a joyous celebration of family, community, cooking and Caribbean heritage. It’s also an empowering story about following your dreams. 

Faruq wants to cook but he has to become a doctor like his father…. until Mrs Joseph from next door gives him the skills and confidence he needs to follow his heart... and impress! 

Sandhya's illustrations are bursting with colour and vibrancy. Sophia's carefully chosen text is a sensory delight, combining evocative smells, flavours and tastes to cook up a story that bubbles with joy and simmers with love. A sumptuous picture book that's a feast for senses.

WORLD OF FOOD (Sandra Lawrence)

Nutrition doesn’t need to be something only grown-ups talk about! This colourful, child-friendly book dives joyfully into the world of food, delivering wonderful facts in the most digestible of formats. With fun chapters such as ‘terrific tubers’, ‘rice of life’, and ‘mighty milk’, it’s impossible not to feel your tummy rumbling with every page turn, hungry to read more. There is so much to learn here about such a wide variety of food. Who knew that nutmeg was once one of the world’s most expensive spices? Or that there are 25 species of mint? A perfect book for little foodies and curious minds.

(Reviewed by Sophia Payne, author of Faruq and the Wiri Wiri)

ANNI DREAMS OF BIRYANI (Namita Moolani Mehra)

In the heart of Little India sat an old café with an oldish owner and an even older secret.

What a gorgeous start to a sweet story about Anni and her search for the secret ingredients to the best biryani in the world. The love for Indian food wafts out of these beautifully illustrated pages and makes you want to feast in Anni’s world. This book also doesn’t shy away from the less glamorous side of cooking – Uncle’s grumpy face reminds us what a busy kitchen can sometimes feel like! Children will love Anni’s determination as they follow her through the kitchen to find the perfect recipe, one biryani at a time.

(Reviewed by Sophia Payne, author of Faruq and the Wiri Wiri)

TAKE A BITE (Aleksandra and Daniel Mizielinski)

At first glance this looks like a fact book about different types of food, but it is packed full of amazing recipes to try at home. Aleksandra has chosen a wonderful variety of flavours from around the world, such as Nigerian jollof and Indian milk barfi. Everyone – big and small - should be encouraged to try new things, especially when it comes to food. The recipes are laid out by country and look super easy to follow, alongside lots of interesting foodie facts from around the world. There’s a fun ‘Where’s Wally’ vibe in the illustrations that will make readers want to absorb every tiny detail. A book to come back to time and time again.

(Reviewed by Sophia Payne, author of Faruq and the Wiri Wiri)

AVOCADO ASKS (Momoko Abe)

Avocado Asks (Orchard Books, 2020) is a brilliantly witty book which promotes feeling comfortable in your own skin. 

The central focus of Momoko Abe's book is Avocado, who is happily housed in a supermarket until an inquisitive shopper questions their identify. A catalyst for a period of turmoil for avocado, then they embark on a quest in the aisle to determine which food group they belong with. Whilst the book's central themes are to celebrate uniqueness and diversity, there are plenty of opportunities throughout for children to learn about different foods and their properties, including similarities and differences. These references are enhanced by Abe's emotive illustrations which bring the edible characters to life. Feeling dejected, avocado finally finds an ally in tomato who helps to share a valuable life lesson. 

(Reviewed by Kara Kiernan, founder of The Book Train)