When a neighborhood potluck introduces a NEW familiar dish that displaces a beloved OLD dish, a friendly food war starts!
Yewande Daniel-Ayoade is a Nigerian-Canadian author of stories that celebrate West African history and culture. Her book The Little Regent won the 2024 Ruth and Sylvia Schwartz Children’s Book award and was a finalist for the Forest of Reading Blue Spruce award. Yewande lives in Calgary, Alberta. You can learn more about her at her website or follow her on Instagram or Facebook.
DELE & AMINATA’S JOLLOF WAR is a picture book about jollof! Dele loves the weekly neighborhood potluck and his mom’s beloved jollof rice. Until a new neighbor brings the same dish. AND it’s better! How can this be? A cooking competition ensues to prove who has the best recipe. What results might surprise you, but this story is a delicious dive into West African foods.
Welcome Yewande!
Me: Can you tell us a little bit about your writing journey? How has that brought you to this book?
Yewande: I’ve been writing since I was a child. I remember having a story published in the newspaper when I was about ten. That was one of the most memorable days of my childhood. Then, in grade ten, I wrote an article that my English teacher read out to the whole class. She told them it was the best article she had ever read from a student. That really encouraged me to explore writing as a career. In my twenties and early thirties, I tried unsuccessfully to get a novel published before putting the dream away to raise a family.
I happened upon picture books in my adulthood. Most Nigerian parents and teachers in my generation did not read to kids, and my family, being lower-middle class, I did not have access to libraries, so I didn’t read picture books growing up. When I had my own kids and started reading to them, I fell in love with the format and decided to try my hands at writing them. Till this day, as soon as I enter a bookstore or library I am heading to the picture book section.
Me: I didn’t realize there were so many different ways to make jollof rice! What gave you the idea for this story?
Yewande: I also did not realize that each country had its own recipe until I moved to North America! I always assumed the jollof rice I grew up eating was the only recipe. Then, around 2010 the hashtag #jollofwar began trending on Twitter. I was concerned West Africans would start World War 3 over which country made the best jollof! When a famous British chef published his own interpretation of the dish using unconventional ingredients like vine tomatoes and coriander, suddenly West Africans were up in arms defending their treasured dish. I found it amusing how jollof rice could inspire such competition and solidarity at the same time. Years later, I wanted to write a story that promoted lunch box diversity by highlighting an ethnic dish, and that incident came to mind. That’s what inspired me to write this story.
Me: How did you pick the nationalities of each kiddo in the story and the specific recipes they would use. Did you always know which countries you wanted to include for the “war”? Or did you research first? Or did that come after many revisions?
Yewande: Nigeria and Ghana are the most vocal participants in the jollof war, so I knew right away I didn’t want to pit them against each other. But I also knew both countries had to feature in the story somehow. I picked Nigeria because that is the version of jollof I grew up eating. And I picked Senegal because jollof rice originated from the Senegambia region of West Africa, so this was my way of paying respect to its inventors.
Me: I love the back matter in this book! I love that you included even MORE info about the many varieties of jollof that you weren’t able to include in the story, as well as a recipe. Did you have to do a lot of research for this section? Or was that all first-hand knowledge?
Yewande: I had to do some research to understand how different countries made their jollof. Despite featuring it in my book, I have never actually tasted Senegalese jollof. I tried to find some for my book launch but sadly, the only Senegalese restaurant nearby had recently closed due to a fire.
Me: Did you pick your favorite version of jollof to share the recipe of in the back matter? Have you ever made jollof yourself?
Yewande: I have a confession. I make jollof rice almost weekly, but I don’t have a recipe! I cook like my ancestors and never measure anything. So, when I needed a recipe, I reached out to my friend, Dr. Otito Iwuchukwu, a pharmacist and food blogger. She created this recipe with her 13-year-old son, making adjustments so it would be kid-friendly.
Me: The illustrations by Bri Marie McNish are pitch perfect. I love the warm color palette she used. Were there any illustration surprises for you? Do you have any favorite illustrations?
Yewande: I was actually surprised that the illustrator, Bri-Marie McNish, envisioned an all-black cast. When I wrote the story, I imagined a multi-cultural apartment building. I loved the array of African dishes included in the potluck spreads. Bri-Marie included a lot of dishes I ate growing up, which was really special for me. My favorite spread is the one where Dele cooks with his mom. That spread is just bristling with joy, and it makes me nostalgic for the times when I cook with my kids.
Me: What advice do you have for new picture book writers?
Yewande: Everyone says this and it’s true – read a lot of picture books. Many new writers don’t understand the rules of picture book writing, especially the rule about leaving space for the illustrations. You must envision a story where the words and illustrations work together to complete the story. If your story works without illustrations, then it’s not a picture book.
That is so true. Thank you so much for stopping by my blog today Yewande.
Dear readers, this book publishes today! Happy book birthday Yewande! This book takes a beloved recipe and perfectly captures the competition between them about different versions. It’s a humorous and kid friendly take that will open up discussions about favorites and culture. Trust me when I say, you won’t want to miss it.