Recommended children's booklists sorted by age or topic

Author & Illustrators

Sophia Payne Books

A reassuring picture book celebration of individuality and heritage told with heart, emotion and evocative illustrations, for every child battling with their self-esteem or anxiety about wearing cultural dress.

Celebrate each other’s unique identity and build tolerance, empathy and understanding of everybody’s background in this authentic and sensitively told story from Sophia Payne and the 2023 Diverse Book Award-winning illustrator Ruchi Mhasane.

Ameena can’t wait for her aunty’s wedding. She is wearing a brand-new salwar kameez – the layers of floaty fabric filled with pretty patterns make her feel like a princess. But when someone comments on her “pyjamas”, she loses all confidence, fearing that her friends might not accept her traditional clothing. Through courage, family love and self-belief, Ameena discovers what it means to take pride in the beautiful layers of her heritage, especially in the face of difficult comments.

There’s so much to like about this colourful picturebook: the lively illustrations, including endpapers; the different fonts which are almost as expressive as the text and conjure up beautifully the scents and sounds of Caribbean culture, the warmth conveyed by artful storytelling, warmth which derives from Faruq’s relationship with the characters who shape his culinary (and boyhood) journey; not to mention the addition of a recipe for lime cookies.

This is a story to make your mouth and your eyes water – as if witness to the work of cooking up a sumptuous family feast and then finding yourself invited too. It’s a book that lends itself to being read aloud in class or at home (and even more so if the dialect sounds authentic). It would also work well in a nurture group setting, allowing the children a hand at making some of the food and as a celebration of different cultures.

Subscribe to our newsletter

Your Review

Stone Girl Bone Girl

review

Year group(s) the book is most suitable for:

Year group(s) the book is most suitable for:

Does the book contain anything that teachers would wish to know about before recommending in class (strong language, sensitive topics etc.)?

Does the book contain anything that teachers would wish to know about before recommending in class (strong language, sensitive topics etc.)?

Would you recommend the book for use in primary schools?

yes

Curriculum links (if relevant)

Curriculum links (if relevant)

Any other comments

Any other comments