The Jumbie God's Revenge Blog Tour: Spotlight

The Jumbie God's Revenge (The Jumbies #3)
Author: Tracey Baptiste
Genre: MG Fantasy/Mythology
Release Date: September 3, 2019
Publisher: Algonquin Young Readers

Description:

In book three of the popular Jumbies series, Corinne must use her emerging supernatural powers to battle the angry god who would destroy her Caribbean island home.

When an out-of-season hurricane sweeps through Corinne’s seaside village, Corinne knows it’s not a typical storm. At first Corinne believes Mama D’Leau—the powerful and cruel jumbie who rules the ocean—has caused the hurricane. Then a second, even more ferocious storm wrecks the island, sending villagers fleeing their houses for shelter in the mountains, and Corinne discovers the storms weren’t caused by a jumbie, but by the angry god Huracan.

Now Corinne, with the help of her friends and even some of her enemies, must race against time to find out what has angered Huracan and try to fix it before her island home is destroyed forever. 

Praise for THE RISE OF THE JUMBIES:

“The novelty of the fantasy elements, the complex characters, and the superb world-building combine in a tale well worth reading, both as a sequel and a stand-alone. A stellar recommendation for fans of edgy fantasy such as Aaron Starmer’s The Riverman Trilogy or Adam Gidwitz’s A Tale Dark and Grimm series, and, of course, fans of the first book.”

—School Library Journal, starred review «

 

“Baptiste's colorful, rich Caribbean characters return triumphantly in this sequel, and the mythos of the island continues to expand. Baptiste deepens what could be a light and charming undersea adventure with ties to African religions and the historical legacy of the trans-Atlantic slave trade. As other young children of the African diaspora sort out their feelings about and relationships with slavery, so do Corinne and her loyal friends. While other tales may address it with a casual aside or scrub out the grimiest bits, leaving history in a shiny, tidy package removed from reality, Baptiste allows her characters to find and create ways to grapple with uncomfortable truths. A stirring and mystical tale sure to keep readers thinking past the final page.”
—Kirkus Reviews, starred review «

 

“Baptiste’s rich seascape of Caribbean myth expands to the coast of Ghana as readers and protagonists alike discover the connections and separations the ocean holds. Not shying away from the lasting trauma of the transatlantic slave trade, Baptiste fully integrates the impact of enslavement on Caribbean people into the narrative and insists that characters and readers alike confront that legacy. . .readers are trusted with a complex and deeply thoughtful tale that will lift them up and set them down somewhere enthrallingly new.”
—The Horn Book Magazine

“With an action-packed story, diverse characters, Rise of the Jumbies is an inventive twist on Caribbean and West African tales. This is a great book for summer reading that your middle schoolers will enjoy.”
—Successful Black Parenting

 

Praise for THE JUMBIES:

“Endlessly addictive and hypnotic.”

—Essence

“Tracey Baptiste scares up new audiences to learn about jumbies...She builds a fairy tale about a brave girl and her adventures among Caribbean creatures.”

—Washington Post

“For children who like supernatural books, this spellbinding adaptation of a Haitian folktale is just scary enough.”

—Parents.com

“It’s refreshing to see a fantasy with its roots outside Europe...this is a book worth reading simply for its originality.”

—Kirkus Reviews

“The themes of fairness, justice, and retribution meld into a better than average evil witch story . . . This is a well written tale full of action with enough scary elements to satisfy fans of Adam Gidwitz’s A Tale Dark and Grimm or Laura Amy Schlitz’s Splendors and Glooms.”

—School Library Journal

“The Jumbies starts off with a chase and leaves the reader wanting more, in a very good way.”
—Bustle

 

I have always loved books. My favorite, was an oversized complete Grimm's Fairy Tales with beautiful illustrations, which I lost when my family moved to the United States. I was fascinated by the stories of the tailor who went up against a giant, and clever Hans, who wasn't so clever as well as the more traditional princess stories. When I was about thirteen, after spending a summer in the library reading Paul Zindel and Judy Blume among other authors, I announced to my best friend that I was going to be a writer. I didn't decide what I wanted to write until I read "The Friends" by Rosa Guy. I had recently moved to Brooklyn, NY, and the book spoke to my situation precisely. It remains one of my favorite books. I started writing for children then, and never stopped. I had early interest from publishers from the moment I began submitting stories at the age of 21, but I didn't put in the work necessary to become published until my late twenties. "Angel's Grace" was largely written while I was on maternity leave with my first child. It was inspired by my mother (the redhead) and my husband. Because I have very young children, I work when they sleep, which, sadly, is very little.

http://www.traceybaptiste.com/