A Night for the Rice Carriers

A young girl celebrates the courage and cleverness of her ancestors and the generations of resistance they inspired!

Mae and her grandmother, Coco, spend the day preparing Coco’s garden for a full-moon celebration with neighbors and friends. This will be the night that Mae, herself, shares her ancestors’ powerful story of rebellion and survival. Through music, food, and joyous revelry, Coco and her guests honor the legacy of two courageous women—Yaya and Paanza—who carried grains of rice hidden in their braids to forge a new life when they escaped enslavement.

The stories of these West African “rice carriers” have lived on through oral tradition, but are being shared in this picture book for the very first time. Written by a historian and children’s literacy advocate, this celebratory book captures the spirit of good rebellion and great community. It was inspired by real rice carriers, Yaya and Paanza, and includes backmatter text and photographs.

Carmen Rubin is a children’s book author and playwright. In 1999, she founded a nonprofit organization, One Blue Village, which supports youth in underserved communities. She has a degree in history and taught kindergarten before becoming a full-time writer. Rubin maintains a robust nationwide school-visit schedule. She serves on the national advisory board for Reading Is Fundamental and is a sixteen-year member of SCBWI. In July 2024, the stage play adaptation of her picture book Ashti’s Journey to Jazz debuted at the Children’s Performing Arts Center in Minnesota.

Matt Williams is a versatile artist, illustrator, and author in Brooklyn. His work has been featured in publications such as the New York Times, British Vogue, the New Yorker, the Atlantic, and TIME magazine. Williams has been recognized by American Illustration 40 (Selected Winner 2x, Chosen Archived Winner) and American Illustration 38 (Selected Winner). He earned his master's degree from the School of Visual Arts and holds a bachelor's degree from Pratt Institute. Alongside his artistic endeavors, Williams is a professor at Pratt Institute and Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT), teaching fine art and illustration.