Yolanda T. Marshall

Yolanda T. Marshall is a Canadian author of children's books, often with a Caribbean theme.

Early life

Marshall, the oldest of three sisters, was born in Guyana and grew up in Scarborough, Toronto.[1][2] Her family moved to Canada when she was 14. Her mother was already in Canada, working and saving to buy a home. Her father is a jazz musician.[3][4]

Writing

Marshall's first children's book, Keman’s First Carnival, was published in 2016. Her children's books generally center around children partaking in elements of Caribbean culture, such as food and music.[3] Her children's books, more than 20,[4] include:

  • A Piece of Black Cake for Santa (2017), where children give Santa sorrel and black cake.[5][6]
  • My Soca Birthday Party (2020). A girl has a birthday party with plenty of Caribbean and African food and music;[1][7] CBC.ca called it one of "the best Canadian picture books of 2020."[8]
  • C is for Carnival (2021), an A to Z book about children at the Toronto Caribbean Carnival.[9][10][11]
  • Hot Cross Buns For Everyone (2022), about children baking hot cross buns and having an Easter party.[12]
  • Brown Girl in the Snow (2025), inspired by a traditional Caribbean folk song, this story is about an immigrant child's determination to grow her favourite plant and adapt into her new snowy home.[13][14] It was included in lists of the best children's books of 2025 by CBC.ca[15] and The Globe and Mail.[16]

She has also written two books of poetry, Obayifo (2008) and Messages on Dried Leaves (2017).[17]

Personal life

As of 2020, Marshall lives in Scarborough, Toronto. She has a son,[5][7] who inspired several of her books.[18] As of 2020, she works in academic publishing.[3]

References

  1. ^ a b "Why Yolanda T. Marshall created a picture book about the tastes and sounds of Africa and the Caribbean". CBC Radio. 27 November 2020. Retrieved 13 December 2021.
  2. ^ "Author Bio". ytmarshall.com. Retrieved 19 December 2021.
  3. ^ a b c Dhanraj, Joanna (25 July 2020). "Canadian Guyanese writer set to release seventh book". Stabroek News. Retrieved 13 December 2021.
  4. ^ a b Park, Suzanne (1 November 2024). "Yolanda T. Marshall wants to know – what's in your cookie tin?". Leaside Life. Retrieved 7 March 2026.
  5. ^ a b Harris, Shakkira (10 December 2020). "'That's the magic of it': Author talks about the growing audience for diverse children's books". WRTV. Retrieved 13 December 2021.
  6. ^ Bull, Megan (18 November 2021). "10 best diverse and inclusive Christmas books for children". Hello!. Retrieved 13 December 2021.
  7. ^ a b Adler, Mike (24 September 2020). "Scarborough author's story brings Caribbean sounds and flavours to life". Toronto.com. Retrieved 13 December 2021.
  8. ^ "The best Canadian picture books of 2020". CBC.ca. 18 December 2020. Retrieved 14 December 2021.
  9. ^ Adler, Mike (27 July 2021). "'Everybody wants to feel it': Scarborough author captures magic of Toronto's Caribbean carnival". Toronto.com. Retrieved 13 December 2021.
  10. ^ Khokhar, Rabia (5 November 2021). "Rabia Khokhar recommends 8 new kids books to celebrate all our identities and experiences". Toronto Star. Retrieved 13 December 2021.
  11. ^ "C is for Carnival". CBC.ca. 4 August 2021. Retrieved 13 December 2021.
  12. ^ "33 Canadian picture books to watch for in spring 2022". CBC.ca. 10 March 2022. Retrieved 2 April 2022.
  13. ^ Goedhart, Bernie (29 January 2026). "Books for Kids: Bundle up for three winter reads". The Gazette. Retrieved 7 March 2026.
  14. ^ Beirne, Luke (12 January 2026). "30 Canadian books to read in winter 2026". CBC.ca. Retrieved 7 March 2026.
  15. ^ "The best Canadian children's books of 2025". CBC.ca. 11 December 2025. Retrieved 7 March 2026.
  16. ^ Canton, Jeffrey (11 December 2025). "The 10 best kids books of 2025". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved 7 March 2026.
  17. ^ "Canada-based Guyanese children's book now available in Guyana". Stabroek News. 19 June 2021. Retrieved 13 December 2021.
  18. ^ "This children's book highlights Caribbean holiday traditions – Breakfast Television". Breakfast Television. 22 December 2021. Retrieved 5 January 2022.
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