This illustrated children’s book is for all the young boys and girls who love animals, rhymes, and fun new languages. You will encounter a fearless and clever boy named Jimi, thirteen friendly animals, bilingual English-Jamaican text, and a bonus alphabet guide to the Jamaican language.

Jamaican boy Jimi is far away from his island home. When he goes on an adventure in the jungle, he gets a huge surprise. His new animal friends decide to make Jimi feel right at home by using a delightfully familiar greeting: “Waa Gwaan Jimi!” This means “Hello!” or “What’s up?” in Jimi’s native Jamaican language. This extra special greeting signals a warm embrace of Jamaican culture by his new animal friends, and encourages Jimi on his quest to explore the animals’ jungle home.

Children who are exposed to foreign languages at an early age develop outstanding social, reading, and writing skills. These early readers also enjoy healthier brain function and development as a result of their embrace of cultural diversity and multicultural education.