Just in time for Christmas, Kellie Magnus introduces a new collection of books that bring Caribbean history, mythology and contemporary culture to life for young readers
From Blue Banyan Books of Jamaica, a pair of graphic biographies by Marcus Garvey and Mary Seacole present the complex stories of two of Jamaica’s most compelling and transformative figures – in an engaging full-length comic book format.
My name is Marcus is an empowering biography of Jamaica’s first national hero, a pioneering voice for black nationalism and pan-Africanism. The book is written by longtime Garvey poet, author and scholar Geoffrey Philp, with art by Shaquille Cross and Marcell Hemmings.
My name is Marywritten by Tanya Batson-Savage and illustrated by Tajha Winkle, chronicles the life of legendary nurse and businesswoman Mary Seacole – from her origins in Jamaica through her entrepreneurial ventures in Panama to her catering and nursing exploits on the battlefields of the War of Crimea.
Beware of the man of the heart (Scholastic Press, 2024), by Barbadian author Shakira Bourne, is a thrilling mystery for eight to 12-year-olds. The book is heavily based on Caribbean mythology, with our young heroine Josephine struggling with a series of disasters – natural, social and mythological.
Trinidadian Tracey Baptiste’s Moko Magic: Carnival Chaos (Penguin Random House, 2024) launched to rave reviews from industry publications in the United States. Set in the context of a Trinidadian tween’s move to Brooklyn just in time for Carnival season, the book blends homegrown and immigrant experiences, humor, mystery, and a healthy helping of Caribbean culture.
Both Bourne and Baptiste’s books are sequels to the series. Beware of the man of the heart is second in Josephine against the sea series, while A little magic lies Baptiste’s The Fire of Freedom series and joins her earlier, best-selling Jumbies series. So once you whet the appetite of new readers with these, there’s plenty more to satisfy them.
