QUICK, SLOW, MANGO!

Kidogo, the endearing baby elephant, finds a friend (and a tasty breakfast) in this charming follow-up to his and McGrory’s debut, Kidogo (2005). The action is straightforward and characterization broad. Like many preschoolers, Kidogo is so fascinated and distracted by the world around him so he can’t always keep up with his mother. PolePole the monkey, on the other hand, rushes around like a tiny whirlwind. Their paths overlap and friendship blossoms one morning by the river, where PolePole discovers that Kidogo’s calm, slow style enables him to catch the ripe mangos she is inadvertently tossing into the water in her frantic efforts to pick them. The text is sprinkled with Kiswahili words, several of which (like PolePole’s name, which means “slowly slowly”) include repetition. This, along with other word repetitions and a repeating pattern of three events or actions, contributes to a lilting, rhythmic feel. The attractive pencil-and-watercolor artwork features bright, soft colors and rounded, smiling animals, while the variety of sizes and layouts match and enhance the pace of this simple, utterly charming story. (Picture book. 5-8)