Published by Worthy on April 22, 2025
Genres: Children's
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Celebrate the power of food and create delicious, lasting memories with this poetic and playful exploration of the joy of waiting for, and finally sharing, fried plantains.
Mama steers the cart toward the produce section of the grocery store and picks up a bunch of green plantains. Thus begins a week of anxious anticipation as a young girl waits for mustard yellows to seep onto the unripe green peels. Creep. Creep. Seep. Green begins to turn to yellow. Creep. Creep. Seep. Black streaks appear. And finally, on Sunday, the frying pan sizzles and hisses, as Mama serves up the warm, sugary slices the young girl has waited for so long.
Much like there is sweet treasure hidden beneath the skin of a plantain, this beautifully written and evocative story reaches far beyond the act of preparing a favorite food. Ripening Time celebrates the way food and family entwine to connect us across generations—and serves as a touching reminder that some of the sweetest rewards in life are worth the wait.
This vibrant, colorful picture book portrays the author’s childhood experience of eagerly waiting for plantains to ripen. The story begins with a grocery shopping trip and then goes through the days of the week as the main character looks forward to eating the plantains, asks her mom when they will be ready, and notices their subtle changes as they ripen. At the end of the week, the plantains are finally ready, and the mother fries them up into a special Sunday treat. The book ends with an author’s note that includes a childhood photo, as well as plantain facts and a recipe.
This is a great story about patience, anticipation, and the joy of enjoying a special food with your family, and the illustrations from Carlos Vélez Aguilera are beautiful. The art style is expressive, colorful, and full of energy, and the illustrations depict family scenes with tenderness and beauty. The only thing that I wish was different about the book is that it ends abruptly. I expected there to be another page, and this didn’t feel entirely finished.
Although this is from a Christian publisher, there is no faith-based content. People who expect a spiritual tie-in need to know that Ripening Time does not include a Christian message or a Bible verse, and readers who might avoid books from Christian publishers need to know that this particular book is a mainstream title.
Ripening Time is a beautifully illustrated, joyful family story that will appeal to a broad audience. This book will be especially meaningful for people who share the author’s experience, but the core themes are relatable for anyone. I really enjoyed this, and I would recommend it to people who enjoy charming family stories and multicultural picture books.