What's wrong with Jamaican Christmas Cake? Everything, if it's not American!
Raymond is moving with his family from Kingston, Jamaica to Queens, New York and he can’t wait to show everyone how American he can be! Whether it’s through books, magazines, music videos and movies, he learns about America in any way he can, even if some of his sources of information are out-dated. However, on Raymond’s first day of school in America, his every attempt to impress everyone with his “American-ness” backfires. What’s worse, his new classmates doubt if he’s Jamaican at all. It’s not until Raymond remembers what he loves most about being Jamaican – making Jamaican Christmas cake – and shares it with his new classmates, that he gains the courage to be himself.
It'll Be Irie will captivate young readers’ hearts with the story of a head-strong immigrant child's humorous attempt to embrace a new cultural environment. In addition, it also offers readers a figurative taste of the underrepresented culture of Jamaica.
BIO
Donn Swaby is an American actor, born on August 20th, 1973 and raised in Queens, New York by Donald Sr. and Nesline Swaby, both immigrants from the island of Jamaica.
Donn attended Boston University's School of Theatre Arts. While at B.U., Donn began his professional career with the role of Thami Mbikwana in the New Rep's production of Athol Fugard's My Children! My Africa!
Donn has guest starred on many sitcoms and dramas, including Judging Amy, Crossing Jordan, Half and Half, The Parkers, Surface, Monk, and Gigantic.
Donn founded the Foundation Theatre Company in 1999. He produced and directed Fool for Love by Sam Shepard in 2000. In 2001, he produced and starred in Slow Dance on the Killing Ground by William Hanley, which earned his cast a Best Ensemble Nomination for the N.A.A.C.P. Theatre Awards, Los Angeles Chapter. He would later win Best Ensemble for the same award in 2007 along with the other cast members of Black Angels Over Tuskegee, a play by written by Layon Gray.
As a writer, Donn has written for Huffington Post and served as Staff Writer for eight years for an alternative women's magazine, Melt Magazine for Women, covering restaurant and music reviews, features and his own What's Cool, L.A. page. He has written several stage plays and screenplays, one of which was produced as a feature film (Buds for Life, 2008.) Donn self-published a rhyming picture book titled, You're Everything Everywhere All the Time.
[H] Cardinal Rule Press / July 01, 2023
0.39" H x 10.31" L x 8.19" W (0.75 lbs) 32 pages
For ages 5 to 7