Customer Reviews

Fatuma's New Cloth

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Fatuma and her mother plan to spend their day in the market. Along the way, various merchants suggest their wares make chai (tea) taste better, but she does not see how their offerings make the chai taste differently. Then at the cloth shop, Fatuma chooses a new kanga cloth from which her mother will make her dress. Each Kanga pattern is imprinted with a Swahili saying, many of which have more than one meaning. Fatuma chooses a kanga imprinted with this message: "Don't be fooled by the color. The good flavor of chai comes from the sugar." So she learns that just as surgery dissolves becoming something we cannot not see, so are the things make us special as impossible to see.

FATUMA'S NEW CLOTH provides not only an entertaining tale, but also a fascinating peek into a vastly different culture from most American children's. In America, we teach our children, "don't judge a book by its cover." In Swahili, the same lesson is expressed as "don't judge the tea by its color." Parents will welcome the message that the value of people lies on the inside where we cannot see. In addition, parents seeking to teach their children the lessons of acceptance of other people's beliefs and culture will find the story an excellent aid. In addition, authentic East African features and kanga patterns frame the pages, lending the text an extraordinary visually pleasing appearance as charming illustrations bring the text alive. An author's note at the end aids parents to further explain the nuances of the story. Also included is a recipe for chai, allowing young children to experience the story first hand. Very highly recommended.

The lesson tells us, "you can't judge a book by its cover." But the inviting jacket art for Fatuma's New Cloth makes a promise that is fulfilled by a story that is as lush and lively as its illustrations.

The dialog between Fatuma and her mother sings with love, gentleness and humor.The author creates a story that is appealing to both girls and boys and one that is useful to parents and educators.

This delectable slice of East African culture lingers like the sweet taste of chai. (By all means, try the recipe!)

I recommend Fatuma's New Cloth and I look forward to seeing more books by Leslie Bulion.

Fatuma's New Cloth is an energetic and highly recommended children's picturebook about Fatuma, a young East African girl who learns about the complexities of the marketplace. There is even a recipe for East African chai (tea) included in this highly enjoyable tale by Leslie Bulion, whose engaging text is superbly complemented by the soft, watercolor-style illustrations by Nicole Tadgell.

A young girl tries to understand what makes her mother's tea taste so good, as she goes to the market with her mother. On the way, she goes through all the components of tea until she herself realizes that it is the sugar that gives it the taste -- and the sweetness cannot be perceived by the eyes alone.

The sweeping watercolor illustrations of the wide-eyed Fatuma and her mother are absolutely gorgeous, and the story is a sweet, gentle tale of mother/daughter love.