Description: As Anne's birthday drew close, her friends prepared a soca party. Anne loves the sound of Caribbean soca music played on steel pans and West Africa's spicy jollof rice. Hence, her friends planned to celebrate her special day with a fusion of sounds and traditional dishes from Caribbean and African countries -- a representation of their diverse yet comparable cultures. Anne was in for a real surprise.
Brief description: Yolanda T. Marshall is a celebrated Guyanese-born, Bajan-heritage Canadian author renowned for her vibrant, inclusive, and culturally rich children's literature. A passionate storyteller and literary trailblazer, she began her publishing journey in 2008 and secured a multi-book deal in 2019. Yolanda is a traditionally published, agented author of twenty beloved titles, including What's in the Cookie Tin?, A Piece of Black Cake for Santa, Miles Away in the Caribbean, Sweet Sorrel Stand, C is for Carnival, My Soca Birthday Party: with Jollof Rice and Steel Pans--recognized by CBC as one of the Best Canadian Picture Books of 2020 and featured on TD's Top Recommended Reads for 2023 and Hot Cross Buns for Everyone-- featured on TD's Top Recommended Reads for 2025.
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Named in CBC's Best Canadian Picture Books list of 2020