Faruq and the Wiri Wiri: A Celebration of Family and Food

A Caribbean celebration of family and food!

Faruq loves his ajee, and he loves her cooking just as much. He hopes to be able to make cook-up rice almost as good as Ajee’s someday. But Faruq’s family expects him to be a doctor, not a chef. When Ajee is too sick to cook Sunday lunch, Faruq enlists the help of his neighbor, Mrs. Joseph, and together they pick some wiri wiri peppers and start cooking. Preparing food for his family fills Faruq’s heart with love—and sets a different course for his future. Sophia Payne’s heartwarming story celebrates Caribbean culture and food and is brought to life by Sandhya Prabhat’s beautiful artwork.m—just as she taught Ajee. Prabhat captures the joy of culinary discovery in bold illustrations as the two work side by side, preparing dishes that define a family legacy while honoring both tradition and individual choice.
—Publishers Weekly

The artwork is especially gorgeous—I even found myself admiring the lettering!—and the colors are vibrant. I am always in for any story with an abuelita (in this case, Ajee!) and Faruq and the Wiri Wiri adds in food, curiosity, and letting children be who they want (a cook!) which captured my heart and stomach.
—The Kids Are All RightSophia Payne discovered her passion for writing after a long-standing career in technical support. She now writes picture books and steers clear of broken computers! Sophia Payne 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 judgmental.”

Sandhya Prabhat is an award-winning illustrator and animator. She has illustrated many picture books, including Namaste Is a Greeting by Suma Subramaniam. She has also designed/animated for clients such as Microsoft, Google, Snapchat, and Facebook. Originally from Chennai, India, Sandhya Prabhat lives in California.