From Publishers Weekly
As in At the Crossroads , the versatile Isadora ( Ben's Trumpet ) here presents a radiant portrait of quotidian life in rural South Africa. Zolani, his mother and his younger sister set off on foot to visit Grandma Zindzi. En route a shop owner hands them a pumpkin to bring to the older woman, and some friends whose house they pass give Zolani his very first book; mother trades dried fish for firewood and purchases a speckled hen, which she carries on her head with her other belongings; and the boy helps a man lift his pig out of the mud. Their disappointment at finding Grandma's house empty gives way to joy as Zolani hears the familiar sound of her pennywhistle in the distance. The kindness of the South African people is at the heart of this affecting story, told as much through Isadora's vibrantly hued, arresting watercolors--spotlighting the local landscape, wildlife and customs--as her eloquent writing. The final image of Zolani and Grandma making music together against a radiant sunset is not soon forgotten. Ages 4-up.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From School Library Journal
PreSchool-Grade 2-- This cheerful companion piece to At the Crossroads (Greenwillow, 1991) is set in South Africa in the rural ``homeland'' of Transkei. Young Zolani walks through the countryside with his mother and baby sister to visit his grandmother. Along the way they meet a man with whom they trade dried fish for firewood, a small girl who is selling chickens, and a man with a pig. They also see an ostrich. When they arrive at Zolani's grandmother's house she is not home, but all is well when she returns at the end of the day. The text is simply and clearly written, but the rather bland dialogue does not reflect local speech. Isadora's bright watercolors in a realistic style depict the characters with sympathy and warmth. However, the impression given of a flourishing rural economy and a landscape showing few obvious signs of environmental degradation results in an idealized portrayal of one of the poorer regions of South Africa, stripped of the ugliness of poverty. In spite of the idealistic picture created, the book's unique subject matter for this age group will assure it a place in most collections. --Susan Giffard, Englewood Public Library, NJ
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.
