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Brown Girl in the Snow

by Yolanda T. Marshall

Growing a garden in a new home

Award Winner
Regular price $18.72 USD
Regular price $31.20 USD Sale price $18.72 USD
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Awards & Recognition

  • Award recognition

    2026 Notable Social Studies Trade Books Award Winner

    Identified as a 2026 award winner.

  • Editorial selection

    A CBC Best Book of the Year 2025

    Named a Best Book of the Year for 2025.

AlbakiReads Editorial

Growing a garden in a new home

Amina’s move from the Caribbean to a snowy place changes what she can grow: the familiar coconut trees, sweet potatoes, and callaloo are no longer at hand. She adapts a traditional children’s song to express that difference, then turns to a library book about gardening and greenhouses for ideas. The garden gives the story a concrete way to explore migration, memory, and making a place feel more like home. An author’s note connects the picture book to its inspiration, while the gardening and greenhouse elements introduce practical ideas alongside Amina’s effort to grow familiar foods in a new climate.

Good fit for readers who enjoy

  • Children interested in gardens, plants, and how greenhouses work
  • Families seeking a picture book about moving to a new place
  • Readers exploring Caribbean culture and food through children’s fiction

Themes

Migration and belongingPersistence and adaptabilityGardening and greenhousesCaribbean traditions and familiar foods

Based on publisher information and book metadata.

Book overview


A Globe & Mail Best Book of the Year 2025

A CBC Best Book of the Year 2025

A 2026 Pedro and Daniel Intersectionality Book Awards Commended Book

A 2026 Notable Social Studies Trade Books Award Winner

Perfect for kids aged 4-8 comes a stunning picture book about persistence, being creative in the garden, and adapting to a new place.

When Amina moves from the Caribbean to a new snowy home, she misses growing her favorite foods. There are no coconut trees to climb, no gardens full of sweet potatoes and callaloo--only ice and snow. As Amina looks out her frosted window, she sings a traditional children's song from back home, adding her own twist: "There's a brown girl in the snow, tra la la la la, where none of her plants will grow."

Determined to find a way to make her favorite plants grow in a new climate, she comes across a possible solution after discovering a library book about gardening and greenhouses. Perhaps there is a way to grow sweet potatoes, after all!

This stunning picture book written by a Guyanese-born author features:
  • An introduction to gardening and greenhouses
  • A note from the author about the inspiration behind the story

With gorgeous images by Marianne Ferrer, and moving text by Yolanda T. Marshall, Brown Girl in the Snow is inspired by a traditional Caribbean children's song and captures a child's unwavering persistence and passion, as she grows into her new home.

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In-stock items normally dispatch within 1–2 business days. The ZIP-code estimator on this page is informational only; the final shipping method, price, and availability are confirmed at checkout for your full order.

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Eligible items can be returned within 30 days in accordance with our return policy.

Customer reviews

M
AlbakiReads
Malaika Taylor

I highly recommend to for anyone looking for inner clarity

T
AlbakiReads
Thomas DiMassa

Great service and fast service

Great shopping experience! The book arrived quickly, was well packaged, and matched the description perfectly. I would definitely shop with you again

O
AlbakiReads
Olivia

Smooth.