Young Afiya's daily rituals may seem routine at first glance, but they are quite magical! Her frolics in nature, at the zoo, among other locales, become temporal imprints upon her white dress. As she moves throughout the day, pigeons, tigers, fish, and more adorn her dress, only to be washed away before Afiya goes to sleep. However, even though those memories leave the dress, they become the roots of her dreams and inspirations for her tomorrow.

Author, who passed away in 2017, was a celebrated Jamaican poet living in the UK. Illustrator is an award-winning Brazilian artist who has illustrated more than 20 books for Brazilian and international publishers.

London, England. Originally published in London, England as A Story About Afiya by Lantana in 2020. Published in the United States by Lantana in 2020.

Every day, Afiya wakes to a brand new day and a clean white dress, ready for her adventures to begin...

Some people have dresses for every occasion but Afiya needs only one. Her dress records the memories of her childhood, from roses in bloom to pigeons in flight, from tigers at the zoo to October leaves falling. A joyful celebration of a young girl’s childhood, written by the late Coretta Scott King Book Award-winning Jamaican poet James Berry.

WINNER of the Northern Lights Book Awards Picture Book of the Year. USBBY Outstanding International Book 2021. New York Times, 25 Best Children's Books of 2020. A Guardian Children's Book of the Month.

“A joyous celebration of childhood, culture and place”—The New York Times, 25 Best Children's Books of 2020

“A unique and beautiful combination of poetic story and expressive art”—Kirkus Reviews

“An exquisite celebration of the simple magic of childhood”—Shelf Awareness

“Gorgeous”—School Library Journal

“A book to treasure”—Books for Keeps, 5 STARS