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Reviewed by Savannah Aldridge for Readers' Favorite
It'll Be Irie: Staying True to Yourself by Donn Swaby is a fantastic way to teach kids about crossing cultures. Raymond is excited when his parents tell him they will be moving from Jamaica to the United States. In anticipation, he practices being American by adding US slang to his vocabulary, changing his clothes to fit American fashion trends, and watching movies set in the States. When Raymond finally arrives at his American school, he works hard to show off everything he has learned. Still, instead of his classmates embracing him as a fellow American, they bombard him with stereotyped questions about Jamaica. While Raymond is angry and sad that his efforts seem fruitless, his parents have an idea to help him and his classmates cross their cultural boundaries with a universally-loved gift, food! A reflection from the author, guiding questions for parents and children, and a recipe for Jamaican Christmas cake are included in this story.
Donn Swaby has created a vibrant, honest, and tender story about entering a new place. It’ll Be Irie shows the challenges and discomfort of crossing cultures from both sides, such as Raymond’s awkward attempt to fit in with American children, and their trying to understand Raymond through their assumptions about being Jamaican. I loved seeing Raymond’s home culture play out on the page through the narrator’s use of Jamaican patois and Alejandra Barajas' illustrations of what Raymond treasures in Jamaica. I also appreciated the grace it shows with both Raymond and the other children struggling to understand themselves and one another. While Raymond’s feelings are hurt, his family works together to help him give these potential new friends a second chance. I highly recommend it to anyone who wants to give the little ones in their life the gift of celebrating who they are and learning to share their culture with others.
