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!

"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." Publishers Weekly (Starred Review) (Copyright Reed Business Information, Inc.)

Simply written and set in a small, modern-day Kenyan village, this read-aloud is sprinkled with Kiswahili words and explanations of African customs as it describes the daily life of a Kenyan child. Full color.