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Unlike ABC books that are primarily
informational, this rhyming, poetic one has a continuous narrative that is more
prominent than the walk through the alphabet.
During a school break, Adanah, a
little (probably Nigerian, like the author and the illustrator) girl with
cornrows, leaves her mother and little sister at home and rides with her father
to Grandad’s house. Grandad has goats and a guitar in his gated yard, which
sets the stage for encouraging readers to pay attention to the details that
appear in the illustrations that the text never mentions. For instance, on the
page that says, “E is for eagles / flying above the trees,” a woman carrying
four cartons of eggs on her head, an elephant on a billboard, and an artist
using an easel on the hill also appear. While the narrator talks only about her
grandfather, the illustrations make clear that he—and his granddaughter, by
extension—is a part of a vibrant community who look out for and appreciate one
another. On the C page, before she leaves home, the protagonist says she will
take her camera on her trip, and at the end of this circular journey, she
shares all of her photos with her little sister—Zainab.
From Nigeria, a wonderful story of
community that will encourage readers to see both mirrors of their own lives
and windows into another fascinating place. (Picture
book. 3-7)
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