Trish Cooke

Rediscover the Puffin Classics collection and bring the best-loved classics to a new generation - including this magical edition of Tales From the Caribbean. A collection of the best-loved and best-known tales gathered from the many different islands of the Caribbean, one of the world's richest sources of traditional storytelling. From the story of the very first Kingfisher to Anansi the Spider Man, these lively retellings, full of humour and pathos, are beautifully retold by Trish Cooke.

Brilliantly told and sumptuously illustrated, The Magic Callaloo is based on the fairy-tale "Rapunzel" and inspired by stories of enslaved Africans. Long ago and far away, a magic callaloo plant grew in a village square. Whoever ate one of its leaves was granted a wish. But a greedy selfish man wanted all the wishes for himself so he stole the callaloo. With only one leaf left, Mister and Missus, desperate for a child, pluck it to make their dream come true. But the greedy man wants everything and he kidnaps their beloved daughter, who will ultimately make the most remarkable escape. Trish Cooke says, “The Magic Callaloo pays homage to my ancestors and the roads they walked to freedom.”"Master storyteller Trish Cooke is in top form with this vibrant story of community, magic, love and family that's bursting with life and colour." Dapo Adeola

Set in a vibrant Caribbean landscape, this modern retelling of "Rapunzel" melds stunning art with a story inspired by tales of enslaved Africans following secret paths to freedom. Long, long ago in a village far, far away there grew a callaloo plant whose leaves made wishes come true. The villagers tenderly cared for their beloved callaloo, until one day, a greedy, selfish man wished to have the plant all to himself. In that village lived a husband and wife who desperately longed for a child, but without the callaloo to grant their wish, they remained childless. So when a wise old woman appeared from nowhere and told them how to find the plant, they bravely fought dragons and snakes until they reached the last remaining leaf, and their wish for a child finally came true. But as often happens in tales of magic, wishes are only the beginning . . . Creating a world of vivid Caribbean colors, Trish Cooke and Sophie Bass nurture and sow a contemporary retelling of "Rapunzel" sure to leave readers entranced. More about the practice of weaving patterns into cornrowed hair to function as maps leading to freedom can be found in a compelling note from the author.

Brilliantly told and sumptuously illustrated, The Magic Callaloo is based on the fairy-tale "Rapunzel" and inspired by stories of enslaved Africans. By the celebrated author of So Much"Master storyteller Trish Cooke is in top form with this vibrant story of community, magic, love and family that's bursting with life and colour." Dapo AdeolaLong ago and far away, a magic callaloo plant grew in a village square. Whoever ate one of its leaves was granted a wish. But a greedy selfish man wanted all the wishes for himself so he stole the callaloo. With only one leaf left, Mister and Missus, desperate for a child, pluck it to make their dream come true. But the greedy man wants everything and he kidnaps their beloved daughter, who will ultimately make the most remarkable escape. Trish Cooke says, “The Magic Callaloo pays homage to my ancestors and the roads they walked to freedom.”

Kiona and Mummy are playing catch! She keeps trying to catch things but has no joy. Luckily, mummy knows there is a very special something Kiona can catch... she can catch a kiss! This joyful picturebook captures the very special moments between parent and child. A critically acclaimed and heart-warming story brought to life by Ken Wilson-Max's bright and bold illustrations.

A landmark collection of plays for stage, screen and radio. While other anthologies of plays by writers of African descent have been published, Six Plays by Black and Asian Women Writers (1st edition 1993; new revised edition 2005) was the first drama anthology to represent women alone. Comedy, poetry, history and magic combined with themes of a social and spiritual nature are the themes and styles evident in Six Plays by Black and Asian Women Writers, a seminal collection of plays for stage, radio and television by Rukhsana Ahmad, Maya Chowdhry, Trish Cooke, Winsome Pinnock, Meera Syal and Zindika. Edited and introduced by Kadija George, Six Plays by Black and Asian Women Writers includes: Essays on theatre and writing workshop; The Importance of Oral Tradition to Black Theatre by Valerie Small; A survey, A Recent Look at Black Women Playwrights by Deirdre Osborne. This anthology's key characteristics are effortless depictions of characters devoid of stereotypical images and typecast roles and the playwrights' approach to unconventional issues. Six Plays by Black and Asian Women Writers represents just some of the writers who have achieved national recognition with work produced on stage, television and radio by some of the most distinguished actors, directors and producers of African and Asian descent that the arts field in Britain has seen. The anthology heralds the significance that young women of African and Asian descent now have more role models to look towards, reinforced by actors and writers-in-residence going into educational institutions and more diverse organisations and situations, from the BBC-supported writer-in-residence projects, with the likes of performer/artists Rommi Smith and Erika Tan, to performance poet/multi-media artist Dorothea Smartt as the Brixton Market Poet-in-Residence. Since the first publication of Six Plays by Black and Asian Women Writers: Meera Syal has become an international name, with novel, TV and stage credits including the popular musical, Bombay Dreams, debuting in the West End; After receiving a writer-in-residence fellowship at Cambridge University, Winsome Pinnock has gone on to produce further plays staged at much-respected fringe theatres such as the Tricycle Theatre; Maya Chowdhry continues to be experimental with her work in multimedia formats, has co-edited a book with Nina Rapi, Acts of Passion: Sexuality, Gender and Performance and is currently working on a coedited anthology of women's writing in the north of England, 'Bitch Lit'; Zindika has written for dance theatre, for Adzido, and co-edited a book, When Will I See You Again with Natalie Smith; Rukshana Ahmad has published a novel, The Hope Chest, and received a Royal Literary Fellowship; Trish Cooke has a successful career writing books for children. Yet moving from the margins and into the mainstream continues to happen too slowly. More than ten years since the first publication of this anthology, the fight and funding for a 'Black'-owned and -managed theatre in Britain is still being argued for, and unfortunately, has barely moved.

A celebration of family time, sharing food together, and a Grandma's hug full, full, full of love. For Jay Jay, the youngest member of an exuberant extended family, Sunday dinner at Grannie’s can be full indeed — full of hugs and kisses, full of tasty dishes, full to the brim with happy faces, and full, full, full of love. With a special focus on the bond between little Jay Jay and his grannie, Trish Cooke introduces us to a family we are sure to want more, more, more of.

A special 25th anniversary edition of a modern classic, this is a tender, exuberant celebration of modern family life. Mum and baby are home alone when – DING DONG! – Auntie and then Uncle and Nannie and Gran-Gran and the cousins come to visit. And they all want to hug and kiss and squeeze and eat the baby right up ... because everybody loves the baby SO MUCH! A special 25th anniversary edition of a multiple award-winning story, So Much is a celebration of family life. Helen Oxenbury's characteristically warm, funny illustrations, paired with Trish Cooke's rhythmic, cumulative story capture the joy of being a baby in a large extended family – a baby who knows that he is absolutely, utterly adored. With a foreword and gorgeous golden foil on the cover and spine, this edition is one to share and treasure.

A beautiful picture book that tells children that it is okay to be afraid. Who was the mysterious Ti Bolom? Could he be real or was he just one of Grandma's inventions from her Caribbean childhood? Illustrator Caroline Binch and writer Trish Cooke--both acclaimed award winners--come together to tell this magical story of Grandma's rainforest adventure.

In Bright Sparks, read all about ideas that will make your head spin.

Look Back! is a children's picture book written by the great team of Trish Cooke (words) and Caroline Binch (illustrations), both of whom are distinguished contributors to children's literature. A magical tale set in the Caribbean and a wonderful evocation of the oral story-telling traditions of the region, it celebrates the relationship between a grandmother (from Dominica) and her grandson as she tells him about her childhood adventures in the rainforest and her encounters with the mysterious Ti Bolom. The rhythms and repetitive patterns of Caribbean language are a rich component of the story – as is typical of Trish's work – and the illustrations have that marvellous realism that is a hallmark of Caroline's many successful books. Trish Cooke (author) is an award-winning author, scriptwriter and actress of Dominican heritage. Born in Bradford, she was inspired to write mostly by her parents who were great storytellers. Her most popular children's book, So Much (illustrated by Helen Oxenbury) won the 0-5 category of the Smarties Book Prize and the Kurt Maschler Award in 1994. She has written plays for stage, TV and radio, including pantomimes, and also runs creative writing workshops. Caroline Binch (illustrator) is an award-winning children's author and illustrator who is probably best known for her illustrations for Amazing Grace, which has become an international best-seller. Her book Hue Boy (written by Rita Phillips Mitchell) won the Smarties Gold Award in 1993 and Gregory Cool, which she wrote and illustrated, was highly commended for the Kate Greenaway medal. Caroline was born in Manchester but now lives by the sea in Cornwall.

How Anansi Got His Stories is a tale of a familiar character from many African and Caribbean tales. Anansi the trickster wants everyone to listen to his stories, but he will have to complete three challenges before he is proved worthy of the title King of Stories... This humorous story written by Trish Cooke and vividly illustrated by Anne Violet will capture your child's imagination! It has been sensitively rewritten to enable your child to read it with confidence whilst capturing the magic of the original tale. There are useful tips for parents and an engaging story map inside the book to help you and your child retell the story together. The Oxford Reading Tree Traditional Tales series includes 40 of the best known stories from all over the world, which have been passed down for generations. They are a perfect introduction to different cultures, traditions and morals. All the stories are carefully levelled to Oxford Reading Tree levels and matched to the phonic progression in Letters and Sounds enabling your children to read the stories independently. Books contain inside cover notes to support children in their reading. Help with childrens reading development is also available at www.oxfordowl.co.uk.