A Feast for Joseph

Joseph's Big Ride #2

by Terry Farish, OD Bonny, Ken Daley (Illustrator)

Joseph misses sharing meals with lots of people like he did back in the refugee camp, so when the neighbors finally come over, it’s a feast! A companion book to Joseph’s Big Ride, described in Kirkus as “a joyful, upbeat tale.”

When Joseph and Mama lived in a refugee camp in East Africa, everyone cooked and ate together. And Joseph could always hear someone playing the awal. It’s much too quiet and lonely in his new home. Though Whoosh, the girl who lives upstairs, is friendly, Joseph misses having more people around, especially his grandmother, who still lives across the ocean. So he invites his relatives in the city to come for dinner, then he invites his teacher, then Whoosh and her mami — but everyone is too busy.

Ever hopeful, Joseph picks the last greens from the garden. At least he and Mama will be ready to cook if someone comes. The next night Whoosh and her mami appear at the door with a big cake, and Whoosh and Joseph cook up a feast.

A touching story about adjusting to a new home and the pleasure of cooking and sharing food with friends.

 

Key Text Features

glossary

translations

 

Correlates to the Common Core State Standards in English Language

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.K.4Ask and answer questions about unknown words in a text.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.1.3Describe characters, settings, and major events in a story, using key details.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.1.7Use illustrations and details in a story to describe its characters, setting, or events.

Genres: Picture Books, Food, Friendship, Africa, Fiction, Childrens, Realistic Fiction

34 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 1, 2021

About the author

Terry Farish is a writer with a passion for writing the stories of people from many cultures. Her novels include THE GOOD BRAIDER, a YALSA and SLJ Best Book for young adults and EITHER THE BEGINNING OR THE END OF THE WORLD. Her picture books include LUIS PAINTS THE WORLD (Carolrhoda, 2016), illustrated by Oliver Dominguez, set in Lawrence, MA, and JOSEPH'S BIG RIDE (Annick, 2016) illustrated by Ken Daley about a boy from South Sudan. Through the New Hampshire Humanities Council, Terry leads literacy programs with refugee and immigrants. The New England Reading Association has awarded her their 2016 Special Recognition Award for Outstanding Contributions to Literacy.

Reviews

[Lorna · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful story of an immigrant child, his memories of the refugee camp he lived in and his attempts to share with his new community. Beautifully written by illustrator Ken Daley, a Canadian!

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

A remarkable book about an Acholi boy from a refugee camp who, now that he is safe in a city, misses all the people with whom he ate kwon and dek ngor. The co-author, OD Bonny, is also an Acholi who was a refugee. But the sad parts of the book are subtle... the story itself is very universal as Joseph tries to collect far-away relatives, neighbors, even his teacher, to come eat with him and his mom. Finally ...

Well. I recommend this, so I won't say more. Glossary included in the back. Vibrant and extremely appealing pictures. If your library doesn't have this, I recommend suggesting that they buy it to get 'diversity points' for refugees from South Sudan and Uganda.

[June · Rating 4 out of 5]

Joseph misses the communal cooking and eating at the refugee camp. He keeps inviting people over for dinner, but everyone is too busy. Finally, the friendly girl from upstairs and her mother come.

Rounded up because I think it would be better in hardback vs. the ebook I read. Also, I think that children do thrive better in a communal setting. I know my mother use to say how much easier it was raising my brother in married student housing vs. raising the 3 of us in a house.

[Carmen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received a gifted copy of A Feast for Joseph by Terry Farish and OD Bonny from Groundwood Books in exchange for an honest review.

Joseph and his Mama came from a refugee camp in East Africa and he is reminiscing in the ways that the community there would gather, cook and eat together. The new place he lives in now is quite different but that doesn’t stop Joseph from wanting that sense of community here. As he invites those around him to come for dinner, many are too busy with their own lives to show up. But Joseph continues to wait, to invite, and to prepare for any guests that may arrive.

This is such a great picture book that fosters the idea of importance in community. It also features a young boy, Joseph who is Acholi, people from South Sudan and northern Uganda. The food and culture introduced in the story is also a wonderful show of the diversity of the people that are part of our city.

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Joseph misses the large groups of family and friends who used to eat together in the refugee camp. Now, in his new apartment in the US, it's just Joseph and his mama. So Joseph invites others to join them. But everyone is too busy or has another excuse. Until, at last, someone accepts the invitation and although the group is still small, Joseph is satisfied.
This wonderfully told story will appeal to early elementary readers. The illustrations in bold colors expand the joyful tone of the tale.
A glossary explains the foreign words. These words add authenticity, but may be stumbling blocks for young readers, and adults reading aloud. Advance practice is recommended.
Tie-in:
-Social studies about African nations, refugees.
-Thanksgiving.
-SEL-sharing, kindness.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Joseph, who was a refugee from South Sudan, remembers the camp and everyone eating together. Now it's just Joseph and his mother, and it doesn't feel like enough people are there. He's hoping his Abubu will be able to make the journey too, or maybe his cousins and aunts and uncles, but so far, they can't find time. He invites his teacher and his neighbors . . . won't anyone come for dinner?

I loved his good memories of the camp, and the connections with the food his mother makes. I loved that his friend made positive comments about his home lunch, and how Joseph is so positive and sweet. Gosh, I wish he'd invite me to dinner!

Cross posted to http://kissthebookjr.blogspot.com

[Margaret Boling · Rating 4 out of 5]

7/7/2024 ~ A second book about Joseph, a child who has moved to a large city (New York? Toronto?) after living in a refugee camp in eastern Africa. In this one, he wishes for the large groups he and his mother enjoyed their meals with. I appreciated the twist at the end in which just his school friend, Woosh, and her mother came to share the meal. (In many picture books, a larger group of friends and relatives would have come to share a meal.) One of the things I appreciate most about these two books is the way Joseph's time in a refugee camp is portrayed positively, and that Joseph came to his new home with skills and positive memories, as opposed to a deficit view of immigrants.

[Tanna Frederick · Rating 4 out of 5]

The main character, Joseph is desperate to host a feast for his family that he misses dearly. All along, the people closest to him were right upstairs! I love the representation in this text and the vibrant images, I believe that this text would be very engaging for students! I would use this in my class as a way to discuss community and the importance of showing up for others, I would love to have a feast that goes with this story!

[Cara Byrne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really appreciate how this book shows both of the joys and challenges of creating community and connected to family after moving to a new country. It tells an engaging story, and my kids had a couple of questions to ask of each spread ("Is her name really 'Whoosh'?" and "Why are all the grown ups lying to Joseph?" "What do these foods taste like?").

[QueenAmidala28 · Rating 4 out of 5]

A beautiful book about community and meaning of family. Joseph is a vibrant kind Sudanese boy looking to share with his community. The highlights of the book include: mini dictionary of Sudanese food, beautiful illustrations that fill the entire page, theme of family and community that any child can understand.

[Barbra · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jopseph misses the husble and bustle of the refugee camp where he and Mama lived in East Africa. It was like one big family, cooking and eating together. In his new home everyone is too busy. Except for his neighbour Whoosh, who is more than willing to be his friend and share in his culture.

[Bozhena Levine · Rating 4 out of 5]

A wonderful story of Joseph, an immigrant child from Africa, who is used to share meals with others and is looking to do the same in his new environment. Thank you to the Anansi Publishing for an advanced electronic copy of this book.

[Christie Kaaland · Rating 4 out of 5]

After moving to the U.S. Joseph misses his large family gatherings and continually shares that sentiment, even though his new best friend Whoosh is always there, always available. Finally, Whoosh's mom and Joseph's mom share a celebratory meal together with Whoosh's fabulous cake for dessert.

[Syntha Green · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love that he still calls his neighbor Whoosh

[Maggi Rohde · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love this window into the experience of one immigrant child, remembering his community in a refugee camp.

[Deby Perkins]

A lovely book about keeping a tradition from a refugee camp in his new home country. The illustrations are so bright and colorful.

[SamSamSam · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really liked this! It's a little wordy for storytime so I might try to condense it, but it would be good for phonological awareness.

[Andréa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Note: I accessed a digital review copy of this book through Edelweiss.