FROM THE PUBLISHER

Imagine you live in a small Kenyan village, where the sun rises over tall trees filled with doves. You wake to the sound of a rooster's crow, instead of an alarm clock and the school bus. Your afternoon snack is a tasty bug plucked from the sky, instead of an apple. And rather than kicking a soccer ball across a field, you kick a homemade ball of rags down a dusty road. But despite this, things aren't that different for a Kenyan child than they would be for an American kid, are they? With so much going on around you, it's just as easy to forget what your mama asked you to do!

FROM THE CRITICS

Publishers Weekly

Cunnane debuts with this playful, vivid tale that offers a glimpse of a rural Kenyan childhood. "Roosters crow,/ and you wake one morning/ in the green hills of Africa,/.../ Enter Mama's hut/ .../ sip maize porridge to begin the day,/ for you are a Kenyan child." Lyrical prose in the second person asks readers to imagine themselves as the young hero, who finds many diversions to his job of guarding Grandfather's cows (e.g., he chases a monkey, kicks a rag ball with a friend). At each detour, he calls out, "Hodi?" (Anybody home?), and hears, "Karibu!" (Welcome!) in reply; the words skip boisterously across the page in bold typeface. Author and artist convey a nurturing environment, as relatives and friends each offer the boy something (in translated Swahili phrases). The village chief lets him parade around with the "chief stick;" his grandmother gives him fresh sweet "sleeping milk" from a gourd; his gentle grandfather bestows forgiveness. Juan's (The Night Eater) signature wide-eyed characters and animals, and tweaked perspectives seem ideally suited to this exotic yet homespun tale. Blue snow-capped mountains and bright, often patterned clothing contrast against dusty ground painted in splatters of pinks and oranges. Despite the boy's tattered shorts and bare feet, readers will sense the generosity of his village. Meanwhile, his relentless distractions will resonate with children the world over who are prone to put off chores in favor of more exciting exploits. Ages 3-7. (Jan.) Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.

School Library Journal

PreS-Gr 3-Through vivid, descriptive text that highlights the Kenyan countryside and culture, this story about one day in the life of a Kalenjin boy unfolds. "Roosters crow, and you wake one morning in the green hills of Africa, sun lemon bright over eucalyptus trees full of doves." The boy's primary chore is to take his grandfather's cows to the pasture and watch them carefully. However, once he gets them there, he slips away to see who else is awake. From then on, he keeps getting distracted by one thing or another. When he finally looks to where the cows should be, they are not there. His expression is forlorn as he ponders, "Why did you wander? Why didn't you stay and do the job Mama gave you today?" When he meets his grandfather leading the cows on the path home-something he should have been doing-the youngster is contrite. Grandfather simply hands him back his cow switch and says, "Twende nyumbani sasa-Let's go home now." The brilliant, colorful, and humorous illustrations stand out against the white backgrounds and are large enough for group viewing. A gentle story about family, responsibility, and a curious little boy.-Mary N. Oluonye, Shaker Heights Public Library, OH Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.

Kirkus Reviews

A day in the life of a distractible lad, illustrated with almost magical brightness by the reigning Ezra Jack Keats New Illustrator Award-winner. Cunnane invites readers to place themselves at the center of her warm tale of a boy who, sent out to mind his Grandfather's cows, instead turns aside to enjoy a hot chepati from the proprietor of the local tea shop, hares off after a passing monkey, visits the kindly village chief, savors a drink from Grandmother and a sweet insect offered by a neighbor, then kicks a rag ball with a friend until the sun begins to sink. Guiltily recollecting his duty, the boy hurries toward the fields-only to meet his dignified Grandfather quietly bringing the cows in for the night. Smiling brown figures dressed in a mix of modern and traditional clothing fill the foregrounds in Juan's luminous rural scenes, echoing the poetic text's happy tone. Drawing on personal experiences, Cunnane opens with an acknowledgement of Kenya's distinctive tapestry of languages and customs, but then goes on to show qualities in the character, community and play of one particular child of that land that mirror those of children everywhere. A rare excursion, glowing with love and laughter. (glossary) (Picture book. 6-8)