Don't Spill the Milk!

PreS-Gr 2—Penda's father is in the grasslands tending the sheep, and the child is taking him a bowl of milk for his lunch. Carefully she carries it on her head past a herd of giraffes, a lively rainy-season mask dance, and over the River Niger via fishing boat, without spilling a drop. When she finds her father sitting under a mango tree, a ripe fruit falls into the bowl and the milk splashes out. Penda is sad, but her father convinces her that all is well-"This bowl was full of love, girl, and it still is"-and they then share the fruit for lunch. This family story shines due to Corr's brightly painted folk-art illustrations. The village in Niger, the villagers, and Penda's journey are patterned with blocks of thick color, stripes, dots, swirls, and the feel of African sunshine. A warm, reassuring tale for storytimes and units on family.—Angela J. Reynolds, Annapolis Valley Regional Library, Bridgetown, NS, Canada