Starred Review for Kirkus Reviews

A resettled refugee kid loves his people's ways of life and strives to feel at home in his new country.Joseph's memories of the tented refugee camp in East Africa, where he used to live, are full of people eating together, dancing, and playing. In his new city, likely in North America, he especially misses the presence of a crowd of people when eating. He tries to invite others to join him and his mother over food, but his relatives, math teacher, and neighbors are all busy. Whoosh, his cheerful neighbor, an Afro-Latinx girl with ribbons in her curly hair, is excited about the food Joseph brings to school: kwon and dek ngor, traditional to his Acholi people of South Sudan and northern Uganda. Colorful dynamic illustrations, including portrayals of food aromas that ignite Joseph's memories, "white gold" moonlight, and people laughing and dancing, create an uplifting, fun, and energized vibe throughout the book. Featured children and adults are mostly black and brown, and Joseph's and Whoosh's mothers wear fabrics with printed floral or geometric designs, including those associated with the African continent. A glossary explains vocabulary possibly new to some readers. At last, Whoosh and her mami join for dinner, bringing food of their own. The kids help prepare a feast where friendship grows and Joseph finds a feeling of home. (This book was reviewed digitally.)A wonderful book that humanizes refugees through a focus on joy in everyday life, even in asylum. (Picture book. 3-6)

ALA Booklist (Thu Apr 28 00:00:00 CDT 2022)

This story of food and community begins as Joseph reminisces about the conversations and cooking he experienced with his mother in an East African refugee camp. After talking with his mother, Joseph decides to ask everyone he knows to share a meal at his new home. While they all respond positively, no one actually shows up. However, Joseph never gives up and one evening his friend Whoosh arrives with her mother and a homemade cake. Together, they talk, cook, and eat traditional dishes, such as kwon and dek ngor. The robust illustrations use saturated colors and shading to help convey a mood of happiness and warmth d white cooking aromas often waft and swirl across scenes. Themes in this book include family, gatherings, traditional foods, and immigration, and a glossary of culture-specific terms used in the story will help readers and teachers alike. This will pair well with Rashin Khiriyeh's Saffron Ice Cream (2018), Aisha Saeed's Bilal Cooks Daal (2019), and Danny Ramadan's Salma the Syrian Chef (2020).

Horn Book (Sun Aug 01 00:00:00 CDT 2021)

Joseph misses the camaraderie of shared meals at the refugee camp where he and his mother stayed until they were able to emigrate from East Africa (the glossary explains that he is Acholi). Now they live in a new city where "there are not enough people to eat with." Joseph invites his teacher, family members, and neighbors to come over for a meal, but only his neighbor Whoosh and her mother are able to come. Together, they enjoy a meal of traditional foods and settle into "a rhythm, a beat of people eating together, even if today it's only two more." The vibrant illustrations, full of color and movement (Whoosh is aptly named), nicely complement the poetic text.

Kirkus Reviews (Fri Oct 04 00:00:00 CDT 2024)

A resettled refugee kid loves his people's ways of life and strives to feel at home in his new country.Joseph's memories of the tented refugee camp in East Africa, where he used to live, are full of people eating together, dancing, and playing. In his new city, likely in North America, he especially misses the presence of a crowd of people when eating. He tries to invite others to join him and his mother over food, but his relatives, math teacher, and neighbors are all busy. Whoosh, his cheerful neighbor, an Afro-Latinx girl with ribbons in her curly hair, is excited about the food Joseph brings to school: kwon and dek ngor, traditional to his Acholi people of South Sudan and northern Uganda. Colorful dynamic illustrations, including portrayals of food aromas that ignite Joseph's memories, "white gold" moonlight, and people laughing and dancing, create an uplifting, fun, and energized vibe throughout the book. Featured children and adults are mostly black and brown, and Joseph's and Whoosh's mothers wear fabrics with printed floral or geometric designs, including those associated with the African continent. A glossary explains vocabulary possibly new to some readers. At last, Whoosh and her mami join for dinner, bringing food of their own. The kids help prepare a feast where friendship grows and Joseph finds a feeling of home. (This book was reviewed digitally.)A wonderful book that humanizes refugees through a focus on joy in everyday life, even in asylum. (Picture book. 3-6)

School Library Journal (Sat Jan 01 00:00:00 CST 2022)

K-Gr 2 In a heartfelt but flawed book, what Joseph misses most about the refugee camp is the meals he used to share with others. Now that it is just him and his mother, there aren't enough people to eat with. Joseph's grandma is still in Africa and will travel to see him, but not in time for dinner. His auntie just lives across town, but she has to work a double shift. His teacher would love to come for dinner sometime, but sometime isn't soon enough. Will Joseph's wish to share a meal with others come true? Set in an undisclosed city, the story establishes that Joseph and his mother are Acholi and have recently been relocated from a refugee camp in East Africa. There is no mention of the tribal nation in the story itself, and the refugee camp remains a plot point that doesn't build background for young readers. In general, readers may have a hard time following the story. Setting and action move quickly and confusingly from spread to spread, with abrupt shifts in scenery. While the illustrations are full of movement and bright colors, and will certainly be attractive to young readers, the underdeveloped plot makes this title less useful as either an independent read or a teaching text. VERDICT Not recommended for purchase. For stories about refugees, consider Lubna and Pebble by Wendy Meddour and What Is A Refugee by Elise Gravel.Louie Lauer