In an echo of The Old Woman and Her Pig, an African village market is the scene of several purchases and subsequent rounds of barter initiated by a young girl and her friend. Luzolo has a five-franc coin to spend on market day. Her father cautions her not to buy the first thing she sees: “Look around, choose what you really want, and then bargain for a fair price.” Her mother adds, “no one gets something for nothing on market day.” Luzolo and her friend, Kiese share what they each purchase and then hear that a monkey is for sale, obviously a disturbing discovery. They set off to trade throughout the market, until they can get the monkey away from its captor. Eventually, the beans and rice they barter for their bracelets and nail polish trade for a very nice basket, that trades for four tin cups that trade for embroidery, and that, finally, for the water pot the monkey seller wants. The girls take the monkey and head for the jungle, where they immediately release him and admonish, “Next time, stay away from Mama Lusufu!” The story ends, “But the monkey didn’t listen.” The illustrations—etched and hand-painted Chine collé on mulberry paper—do little to extend the text, lacking the vibrancy and vitality of an African market filled with foods, fabrics, and goods. There’s no hint of what the characters have in mind to do once they obtain the monkey, other than that sense of unhappiness when they hear it’s in captivity, so that comes as a nice surprise. The author does relate the interconnection within a community and the ripples created by trading what one has for what one wants. The observant young reader will detect and enjoy the circular story of trading among the villagers and the inevitable return of the monkey. (Picture book. 4-8)
Pub Date: Oct. 15, 2002
ISBN: 0-374-35017-5
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Frances Foster/Farrar, Straus & Giroux
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2002
BOOK REVIEW
What if the market was closed when you wanted to bake a pie? You could embark for Europe, learn Italian en route, and pick up some semolina wheat in Italy, an egg in France, kurundu bark for cinnamon in Sri Lanka, and an entire cow in England (butter) before coming home via Jamaica (sugar) and Vermont (apples). The expertly designed illustrations in which a dark-haired lass journeys by various means to these interesting places to get her groceries are lovely and lively, and the narrative, too, travels at a spritely pace. The journey is neither quite logical enough to be truly informative nor quite bizarre enough to be satisfyingly silly, while the rich, sweet recipe that's appended will take some adult assistance. Still, fun. (Picture book. 4-8)
Pub Date: May 2, 1994
ISBN: 0-679-83705-1
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Knopf
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 1994
A sweet, soft conversation starter and a charming gift.
A paean to teachers and their surrogates everywhere.
This gentle ode to a teacher’s skill at inspiring, encouraging, and being a role model is spoken, presumably, from a child’s viewpoint. However, the voice could equally be that of an adult, because who can’t look back upon teachers or other early mentors who gave of themselves and offered their pupils so much? Indeed, some of the self-aware, self-assured expressions herein seem perhaps more realistic as uttered from one who’s already grown. Alternatively, readers won’t fail to note that this small book, illustrated with gentle soy-ink drawings and featuring an adult-child bear duo engaged in various sedentary and lively pursuits, could just as easily be about human parent- (or grandparent-) child pairs: some of the softly colored illustrations depict scenarios that are more likely to occur within a home and/or other family-oriented setting. Makes sense: aren’t parents and other close family members children’s first teachers? This duality suggests that the book might be best shared one-on-one between a nostalgic adult and a child who’s developed some self-confidence, having learned a thing or two from a parent, grandparent, older relative, or classroom instructor.
A sweet, soft conversation starter and a charming gift. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: March 1, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-943200-08-5
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Compendium
Review Posted Online: Dec. 13, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2017
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