An engaging and magical look at the Gullah Geechee culture and landscape! From delicious foods and unique architectural details to the smell of the ocean and sounds of a bottletree, the reader is taken on an immersive journey alongside vibrant, gorgeous illustrations.

Thank you to NetGalley and the author for providing me with a free eARC in exchange for an honest review.

A story to be treasured by young Gullah Geechee descendants, youthful history seekers, and lifelong learners alike. The descriptions and illustrations are a feast for the senses. The maps and references add to the understanding of the Gullah Geechee presence and culture. Readers will realize a strong connection to nature and an even stronger sense of community. Congratulations to Yvette R. Murray and Tonya Engel on a delightful and important book!

Tank ya, NetGalley, Yvette, and Tonya, for the early access.

#CelebrateWeGullahGeechee #NetGalley

I just loved this book and really look forward to reading it with my kiddos who are 5,9 and 12.

I have heard so many great things about the Gullah Geechee people and their culture and have always wanted to dive more into their history so I when I saw this book, I knew I had to read it.

First, I want to point out that the illustration is absolutely stunning! It is so bold and colorful and really helps to draw in the reader. While reading and looking at the pictures, I felt like I was there, walking through the streets and smelling the food. It really sparked an interest in me to visit and be a part of this beautifully illustrated place live and in person.

This book was also very educational. Like I said, I have three little girls and I am always looking for ways to teach them about different places, cultures, and people and this is the perfect book to do this. While as an adult, I found this book to be enjoyable and entertaining and educational for myself, this book was made for my kiddos. I think it is perfect for my two little ones and I absolutely loved the learning through visuals nature of the story. I loved how the different characters drew the children in by essentially saying come learn with me. I loved the "I'll show you, show you what I see" aspect of the book.

While the illustrations were amazingly well done, the writing was also beautifully well-crafted. I really liked how descriptive the writing was. The words used to describe the feel of the palmetto tree, the shells, the smell of the trees and different plants and the looks of the bricks with fingerprints, and the smell of the food....It made me feel, see, smell everything as though I were there.

Finally, I want to note that I really felt a connection to the Gullah Geechee people simply through reading this book which is an amazing feat! As a Haitian, I felt a kinship to the people though their connection to West Africa. I felt connected through the foods that were being described...the rice with red beans, the turkey wings, the okra, the blue crabs; these are all part of my culture and it was beautiful to see them being enjoyed by those who share an ancestral history with me.

It would take days and pages to describe my enjoyment and love of this book but I will say that reading this has sparked an interest in me to learn more about this culture and to actually experience it in person. Using the resources given at the end of the book, I plan to take the kids to some of the locations that feature this beautiful culture.

Thank you so very much to the author and the publisher for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this beautifully written and illustrated work of art.