Get ready for a deliciously fun food face-off in My Rice is Best by Selina Brown and Maxwell A Oginni. This joyful new picture book celebrates culture, friendship, and the meals that make us feel at home. It was published by Puffin last week, on Thursday 8 May 2025.

Blurb

A laugh-out-loud, heartwarming picture book that brings the joy of food, friendship, and cultural pride to life, written by Selina Brown, winner of the 2025 London Book Fair Trailblazer Award, and CEO of the internationally renowned Black British Book Festival.

My Rice is Best explores the playful rivalry between two friends who both believe their rice dish is the ultimate favourite.

Shane is convinced that nothing beats a big, delicious bowl of rice and peas—it’s the best rice in the world! But when he brings his favourite meal to school, he discovers that his friend Yinka is just as passionate about her jollof rice. What follows is a hilarious and heartfelt showdown to settle the age-old question: which rice reigns supreme?

With vibrant illustrations from Maxwell A. Oginni’s which bring to life the humour and playfulness, the book offers an entertaining way-in to help children embrace new cuisines and celebrate cultural identity and diversity. With the rising demand for inclusive stories that celebrate different cultures, My Rice is Best is a timely and essential addition to any child’s bookshelf.

Review

When Shane brings his beloved rice and peas to school, he doesn’t expect a rice rivalry with his friend Yinka, who swears by her jollof rice.

What follows is a funny and heartwarming showdown that explores identity through the universal love of food.

Packed with humour and vibrant illustrations, My Rice is Best is the perfect picture book for sparking conversations about heritage and sharing stories around the table.

This book is a mesme-ricing celebration of what brings us together. (Saw the pun on amazonn and it made me laugh!)

About the Author

Selina Brown is an Author, Marketing Consultant and Event Producer. At 16 she became the Youth MP for Nottingham, her love for words gained her two Degrees and a Masters at 21 years old. After living and working in New York, Jamaica, Kenya and Gambia Selina founded Little Miss Creative, an award-winning Female Development Agency that empowers girls in schools across the UK.

During the pandemic she wrote the picture book series Nena that became popular in 2020. The same year Selina launched the internationally renowned Black British Book Festival, which aims to celebrate new and emerging Black British authors across all genres of literature.

About the Illustrator

Maxwell Afolabi Oginni is a Nigerian-born, London-based animator & illustrator. Classically trained in 2D character animation, he has worked in the mainstream industry for over 18 years as director, animator, illustrator & story artist for TV commercials, music videos, feature film & popular children’s entertainment productions such as, Sony Pictures Animation’s ‘Young Love’, Mr Bean: The Animated Series, JoJo & Gran Gran, Hey Duggee, School of Roars, plus various other titles.

Having developed his own distinct style, Maxwell has also established himself as a skilled & ambitious creative with a fresh & dynamic approach. His unique artworks have been acknowledged by various institutions & highly respected industry professionals throughout his career.