Product Description

Zolani and his mother are going to visit Grandma Zindzi. Zolani loads a wet sack of mussels, a present for his grandmother, on a sturdy young goat. His mother settles little Noma comfortably on her own back and balances a box of dried fish and a basket of mielies on her head. They will walk many miles across the Transkei countryside before they reach Grandma Zindzi's.

As she did in At the Crossroads, Rachel Isadora gives us an authentic glimpse of life in yet another area of South Africa. Eloquent words and pictures tell the story of their journey and make it a journey to remember.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #927115 in Books
• Published on: 1992-05-26
• Released on: 1992-05-26
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 32 pages

From Publishers Weekly
As in At the Crossroads , the versatile Isadora ( Ben's Trumpet ) here presents a radiant portrait of quotidian life in rural South Africa. Zolani, his mother and his younger sister set off on foot to visit Grandma Zindzi. En route a shop owner hands them a pumpkin to bring to the older woman, and some friends whose house they pass give Zolani his very first book; mother trades dried fish for firewood and purchases a speckled hen, which she carries on her head with her other belongings; and the boy helps a man lift his pig out of the mud. Their disappointment at finding Grandma's house empty gives way to joy as Zolani hears the familiar sound of her pennywhistle in the distance. The kindness of the South African people is at the heart of this affecting story, told as much through Isadora's vibrantly hued, arresting watercolors--spotlighting the local landscape, wildlife and customs--as her eloquent writing. The final image of Zolani and Grandma making music together against a radiant sunset is not soon forgotten. Ages 4-up.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal
PreSchool-Grade 2-- This cheerful companion piece to At the Crossroads (Greenwillow, 1991) is set in South Africa in the rural ``homeland'' of Transkei. Young Zolani walks through the countryside with his mother and baby sister to visit his grandmother. Along the way they meet a man with whom they trade dried fish for firewood, a small girl who is selling chickens, and a man with a pig. They also see an ostrich. When they arrive at Zolani's grandmother's house she is not home, but all is well when she returns at the end of the day. The text is simply and clearly written, but the rather bland dialogue does not reflect local speech. Isadora's bright watercolors in a realistic style depict the characters with sympathy and warmth. However, the impression given of a flourishing rural economy and a landscape showing few obvious signs of environmental degradation results in an idealized portrayal of one of the poorer regions of South Africa, stripped of the ugliness of poverty. In spite of the idealistic picture created, the book's unique subject matter for this age group will assure it a place in most collections. --Susan Giffard, Englewood Public Library, NJ
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Kirkus Reviews
In the handsome style and format of At the Crossroads (1991, ALA Notable), another vivid, realistic South African vignette. Zolani lives on the coast in the Transkei homeland, where his father is a fisherman. One day, he and his mother walk the long trek to Grandma's house, carrying gifts and baby Noma and stopping on the way to visit with friends, trade their dried fish for firewood, and help a man whose pig is stuck in a mudhole. Grandma isn't home--there was no way to let her know they were coming--but she turns up as they are about to leave. Isadora's intense, sunny watercolors are as full of joy as their meeting. A valuable glimpse of African life; a beautiful book. (Picture book. 4-8) -- Copyright ©1992, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

Customer Reviews

I like this book!
The watercolor illustrations are the best part of this book--they really enhance the simple story of a boy and his mother and baby sister going to visit his grandmother.