I usually am a fan of the books from Barefoot Books. And with I’ll See You in Ijebu I think I found my new favorite book this year (or for sure in the Top 15). This is a delightful story of one young girl and the rich culture and family she comes from. We see how she celebrates both her mother’s family and their Muslim faith, and her immediate family and their Christian (specifically Catholic) faith as well. The two worlds are not separate, but can be combined.
We see how her large and loving family loves to be together, play and tease and eat (Food? My kind of people!) We see how the food and rituals play a part in the celebration of Eid (and how it differs from other areas of the world, as our young narrator’s family is from Nigeria). And we see how it is an honor for our narrator to be allowed to finally partake in some of them.
The words of Bunmi Emenanjo show how their love of her culture and love of their family comes alive with the girl of the story. The excitement of the celebration and being with cousins and family only seen occasionally also shows how we have more alike than differences, too. And Diana Ejaita put their own style into the illustrations to make impressive and unique illustrations. The art supports the story, and allows for its own character to shine through as well. They pop with character with their colors and attention to detail, but are not crowded. They are a treat in themselves. The afterwards continue the “popping” with so much information it really almost needs its own book!