Tradition takes flight in Rice & Rocks, a picture book celebrating culture and diversity.
I had the pleasure to read and review Rice and Rocks by Sandra L. Richards. I loved the plot of the story, and how it teaches that the same dish is cooked and called many different things across various cultures. My eight-year-old, fell in love with the plot, while my five-year-old fell in love with the colorful illustrations.
This gentle, yet powerful story, focuses on the importance of culture in the most extraordinary way.
With a clever and impactful use of color, Sandra Richards’ story guides us through this thoughtful storyline to perfection. The use of stark inking and water-color like illustrations draws us in, illustrating the powerfulness of pictures. In addition to food playing a large role, music, specifically, the trumpet appears to be central in telling this story.
Accentuating the ordinary and highlighting the enormity of a simple meal, this clever, understated but highly poignant story certainly packs a punch.
Giovanni’s friends are coming over for Sunday dinner, and his grandmother is serving rice and beans. Giovanni is embarrassed he does not like ‘rice and rocks’ and worries his friends will think the traditional Jamaican dish is weird. But his favorite Auntie comes to the rescue. She and Giovanni’s pet parrot, Jasper, take him on a magical journey across the globe, visiting places where people eat rice and rocks. This exciting story celebrates the varied traditions of every culture while also highlighting the delicious similarities that bring us all together.
Water, melanin, bones, blood. In route to death, while I’m here, might as well get shit accomplished.
Photographer, fitness enthusiast, blogger, and mother of two.
