Little Cherub's Book Choice ... Handa's Surprise

Little Cherub's new favourite is one of the books from my library book sale trawl: Handa's Surprise by Eileen Browne. I have had to read it to her three times already today, and it is only 9.30 in the morning. (Cherub is very specific about what she wants read and when ... she gets the book and bashes me on the knee with it until I oblige.)

Handa is an African girl who decides to take a gift of various fruits to her friend in the next village. Along the way, the fruits are stolen by various animals - the monkey, the elephant, the giraffe, and so on. Fortunately a goat accidentally provides Handa with a replacement gift before she arrives. The text is simple and pictures vivid, giving a sense of the brightness of colours under the African sun. Cherub loves fruit and is into learning the names of different animals, so I'm not surprised this book with its appealing pictures has caught her attention. I particularly like the one which shows Handa arriving at her friend's village, where what appear to be many children from the same family are playing outside their home, with one little one tied to her sister's back and a baby on his brother's lap. Little Cherub is very into babies, and loves to point these out!

I notice that the original picture book does not seem to be in print in the US, so I have linked to Amazon UK. The "read and share" version that is readily available from Amazon.com has larger print, but smaller pictures ... I think the original is nicer as the pictures are the heart of this book.