Ripening Time
Ripening Time by Patrice Gopo, published by Worthy Publishing in 2025, is a children’s book that explores the joy of anticipation through the lens of food. This 32-page edition invites readers into a poetic journey as a young girl eagerly awaits the transformation of green plantains into a delicious treat. The narrative begins with a trip to the grocery store, where Mama selects the plantains, setting off a week filled with excitement as the girl observes the gradual ripening process.
In this evocative story, readers will discover how the act of waiting for food can create lasting memories and strengthen family bonds. The book highlights themes of growing up and family life, illustrating the connection between food and shared experiences across generations. Through its playful exploration, Ripening Time serves as a reminder that some of life’s sweetest rewards come from patience and togetherness.
Official synopsis Publisher
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.
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