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S. A. Bodeen
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Babu's Song Hardcover – March 1, 2003

by Stephanie Stuve-Bodeen (Author), Aaron Boyd (Illustrator)
4.7 out of 5 stars 25 ratings
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Previous page
  1. Reading age
    4 years and up
  2. Print length
    32 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Grade level
    Preschool - 2
  5. Lexile measure
    AD600L
  6. Dimensions
    10.25 x 0.25 x 8.5 inches
  7. Publisher
    Lee & Low Books
  8. Publication date
    March 1, 2003
  9. ISBN-10
    1584300582
  10. ISBN-13
    978-1584300588
  11. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Kindergarten-Grade 2-A warm, heartrending story set in Tanzania. Bernardi loves to play soccer and to hum a song that his grandfather taught him before the man lost his voice. Babu fashions toys out of bits of tin and scraps of wood that the boy collects and then sells them at market. Together they make enough to live on but not to pay the fees required to send Bernardi to school. One evening Babu surprises his grandson with a music box he has made that plays their favorite tune. A tourist in the market is intent on buying it even though Bernardi insists that it is not for sale. Finally, the amount she offers is enough to buy a coveted soccer ball and the temptation is too great to resist. He has second thoughts, however, and tearfully hands over the money to Babu, who uses it to enroll Bernardi in school. The man has also fashioned a homemade soccer ball from string and a gunnysack and begins to work on a new music box. The tale is told with economy of language but with heaps of feeling. The characters come to life and their loving relationship and lean lifestyle are described with dignity and respect. Boyd's impressionistic watercolors capture the rich colors of the countryside and the market and effectively convey the story's emotions. Babu's Song will resonate with a wide range of readers.
Luann Toth, School Library Journal
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

PreS-Gr. 2. Bernardi lives in a Tanzanian village with his grandfather, Babu, a mute toymaker. Bernardi loves to play soccer with the local schoolboys, but he doesn't have enough money to attend class. When Babu presents Bernardi with a music box that plays a special melody Babu once sang, the boy is joyful and cherishes his gift, until he's offered a large sum for it at a street market and sells the box. Guilt-ridden, he's unable to buy a coveted soccer ball, as he had planned. At home, he confesses to Babu, who comforts him with a handmade soccer ball and then spends the money on a wonderful surprise: a uniform and school tuition. Stuve-Bodeen skillfully avoids sprinkling too much sweetener on her nicely paced story of wish fulfillment. Children will easily recognize Bernardi's struggle between his own desires and pleasing his family, and Boyd makes a striking picture-book debut with appealing, color-saturated watercolor spreads that capture the contemporary village setting and the affection between the boy and his grandfather. Gillian Engberg
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
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Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Lee & Low Books; First Edition (March 1, 2003)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 32 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1584300582
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1584300588
  • Reading age ‏ : ‎ 4 years and up
  • Lexile measure ‏ : ‎ AD600L
  • Grade level ‏ : ‎ Preschool - 2
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 13.4 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 10.25 x 0.25 x 8.5 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.7 out of 5 stars 25 ratings

About the author

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S. A. Bodeen

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S.A. Bodeen is the author of the acclaimed YA novels The Compound, The Gardener, The Raft, and The Fallout. She is also the author of the Shipwreck Island series for middle grade readers. Raised on a dairy farm in Wisconsin, she was a Peace Corps volunteer in Tanzania, an experience which inspired her to write Elizabeti's Doll, her first award-winning picture book. She has a BS in education, an MFA in writing, and has lived in eight states, two African countries, and on a remote Pacific atoll. She currently lives in the Midwest and travels the country doing school visits.

Customer reviews

4.7 out of 5 stars
4.7 out of 5
25 global ratings
5 star
78%
4 star
11%
3 star
10%
2 star 0% (0%) 0%
1 star 0% (0%) 0%

Top reviews from the United States

Desert Rats
5.0 out of 5 stars Endearing story for young scholars
Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on September 13, 2013
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C. K. Childs
5.0 out of 5 stars nice story, accurate depiction of life in Tanzania
Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on November 18, 2007
One person found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

Ruth Mulenga
5.0 out of 5 stars Great story with an African theme
Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on November 27, 2012
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