Book Review: A Caribbean Plant Kingdom in Ti Koko and Kush Kush

By N.C. Marks

There is a place where the land curves into the wide smile of a bay. A place where lush, green, tropical vegetation thrives next to a white sand beach, which is gently licked by blue waves of the sea. In this paradise of a seascape unfolds the story of Ti Koko and Kush Kush by Patricia G. Turnbull.

In this storybook the vibe is peace, love, and harmony in the friendly ecosystem of yam, coconut, mango, avocado, “tea bush,” and “Peas and peppers … well behaved,” just to name a few of the plants in “Garden Bay.”

Then suddenly, “Brogudoosh! Brogudoosh!”, an unexpected disaster disrupts the equilibrium of the happy, magical bayside community.

In this elegantly written poem/story, the reader is immersed into a Caribbean plant kingdom. The Tortola, VI author makes clever use of personification to provide precious lessons about friendship, change, and resilience. 

Flavored with ancestral wisdom and folklore, Ti Koko and Kush Kush would certainly stimulate questions about Caribbean history and traditions for children ages 4 to 9 in the region and from around the world.

The book’s colorful illustrations also promise to appeal to the young readers’ attention and serve to further strengthen the cognitive processing of their surroundings.

For her fellow educators, Turnbull’s title provides an early base of a strong foundation for environmental awareness and appreciation, while generating concern about the protection of resources.

Furthermore, while reading this new book at home, or in early stimulation settings, the young and young at heart may be tempted to sing or speak in the voices of Ti Koko the little coconut and Kush Kush the wise yam; and to dramatize the story.

Ti Koko and Kush Kush is the third richly designed children’s book by authors from different Caribbean islands published by House of Nehesi Publishers (HNP) in St. Martin.

About the Reviewer:
 N.C. Marks is a writer and geography teacher from St. Vincent and the Grenadines.

Caption1: Ti Koko and Kush, colorfully illustrated storybook by Patricia G. Turnbull.

Caption2: Caribbean bayside artwork by Reuben Vanterpool in the storybook Ti Koko and Kush by Patricia G. Turnbull. (Credit HNP photo)

Ti Koko and Kush Kush
by Patricia G. Turnbull
House of Nehesi Publishers, 2018
Hardcover, storybook, illustrated.
ISBN 9780997489545

Where to buy: Ti Koko and Kush is available at www.SPDbooks.org
Adifferentbooklist.com and bookstores in Tortola, St. Martin, and St. Lucia.

New Online Journal: First Reads

Recent Caribbean publisher, Strategy Forum Inc. (SFI), has launched Storytelling Forum Inclusive, a platform for new voices, as well as the not-so-new, to tell their stories. The concept comes from the notion that storytelling is one of our most important needs as we try to grapple with and define our identity.


For the past four years, contributors and readers of SFI’s weekly newsletter have worked together to identify, understand and define the Caribbean sense of life. A review of that 4-year journey led to the creation of a new platform and First Reads, an online journal to “Quench our thirst for Caribbean and Caribbean-influenced creative works.” While the Caribbean can boast great writers, the Caribbean creative voice continues to be absent from many journals internationally. First Reads is a response to fill that void as it provides a space for well-written, well-researched topical issues.


First Reads Editor, I. Rhonda King, explains, “First Reads is based on the Village Ethic. Here, people work collaboratively and bring to the platform, that which they can—creative expression, financial resources, a commitment to spread the word.” The objective is to build and grow through community participation. King continues, “The Village Ethic presents a new paradigm, a viable alternative to the current corporate model.” Villagers are free to participate in one or any combination of participant levels as contributors, benefactors, and/or readers.


The inaugural issue of First Reads was released on March 31, 2010 with the publication of The Obeah Man, a short story by Godfrey Bobby Fraser, widely acclaimed Vincentian playwright, whose radio serials were popular throughout the Eastern Caribbean in the 80s and 90s. Fraser is well known for Leroy and The Courting of Beatrice which he co-wrote with the late Chester Rogers.  The Obeah Man, written in the 60s, has never been published before for public consumption. Beginning in May, Storytelling Forum Inclusive, through First Reads will introduce as a serial for the first time on the Internet, the audio files of the 12 episodes of Leroy.


First Reads is mailed electronically the last Tuesday of each month. Read more about the philosophy and mission of Storytelling Forum Inclusive and First Reads and become a part of the community at www.strategyforuminc.org.

Strategy Forum Inc is a company created by Inga Rhonda King in 2006 and registered in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. An online journal and an exquisite line of illustrated books of Caribbean thought and ideas are created under this label. These creations are dedicated to re-visioning the good life, celebrating the Caribbean sense of life and making critical reflection fashionable.

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