Dele’s favourite dish is his mum’s jollof rice. It’s also the most popular dish at their neighborhood potluck. This month, a new girl and her family have moved from Senegal into Dele’s building, and they bring a different kind of jollof rice to the potluck. Each insist that their own mother’s dish is best. This competitive spirit grows stronger when both families cook their jollof rice recipes for a local competition. Dele and Aminata attempt to out-do one another, and both dishes are ruined in the process. But the cooking disaster helps Dele and Aminata realize that there may be yet another way to make jollof rice.

Yewande Daniel-Ayoade is the author of multiple books, including the award-winning THE LITTLE REGENT. Living in Calgary but originally from Nigeria, Yewande writes books that are rooted in West African history and culture.