Product Description

On market day, Mama Panya s son Adika invites everyone he sees to a pancake dinner. How will Mama Panya ever feed them all? This clever and heartwarming story about Kenyan village life teaches the importance of sharing, even when you have little to give.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #232079 in Books
• Published on: 2006-03-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 40 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9781905236640
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
• Click here to view our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices

From School Library Journal
Kindergarten-Grade 3–Mama Panya and her son, Adika, are all ready for market day where Mama is planning on using her few coins to buy the ingredients to make pancakes for dinner. Adika is so excited that he can't help inviting all of their friends and neighbors. Mama Panya is worried that his generosity may be more than her few coins and their meager supplies can provide. Luckily all of the guests arrive with gifts, and a Kenyan cross between "Stone Soup" and the story of the loaves and the fishes is realized. A recipe, map, details about daily life, and facts about Kiswahili and Kenya are included. With their bold colors, vivid patterns, and lush scenery, the illustrations will transport readers into this country to walk alongside Mama Panya and Adika on their way to market. Details from animals to foliage are depicted clearly and provide more than just a backdrop to the story; they're a great introduction to the landscape and people of East Africa. A strong selection for a read-aloud or as a supplement to units on Africa, community, or generosity.–Genevieve Gallagher, Murray Elementary School, Charlottesville, VA
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Review
"There is a timeless quality to this contemporary story about a Kenyan boy and his mother stretching their food to feed all their friends ... The old tradition of sharing all one's food with others works again. With the repetition of the phrase 'a little bit and a little bit more,' the folkloric feeling intensifies…With a recipe for spicy pancakes, information about local animals and village life in Kenya, some general facts and a map, this story will be a welcome addition to a school unit as well as traditional storytime." --Kirkus Review

"With their bold colors, vivid patterns, and lush scenery, the illustrations will transport readers into this country to walk alongside Mama Panya and Adika on their way to market. Details from animals to foliage are depicted clearly and provide more than just a backdrop to the story; they're a great introduction to the landscape and people of East Africa. A strong selection for a read-aloud or as a supplement to units on Africa, community, or generosity." --School Library Journal

"There is a timeless quality to this contemporary story about a Kenyan boy and his mother stretching their food to feed all their friends ... The old tradition of sharing all one's food with others works again. With the repetition of the phrase 'a little bit and a little bit more,' the folkloric feeling intensifies…With a recipe for spicy pancakes, information about local animals and village life in Kenya, some general facts and a map, this story will be a welcome addition to a school unit as well as traditional storytime." --Kirkus Review

About the Author
Richard and Mary Chamberlin are a collaborative writing team from Illinois, USA. Married for 17 years, they've travelled extensively, including trips to Kenya and Tanzania. They are longtime members of the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators and co-founders of several local writers' groups. Mary is a freelance Television Producer and Director, while Rich is an engineer working as a Project Manager. They share their home with their dog Trisha and a rabbit called Bean. Julia Cairns began her career as a fine artist when she moved to Botswana where she worked for nine years. She continues to be inspired by the joy and hopeful spirit of the African people. She has also illustrated the enormously successful We All Went on Safari (2003) and Grandad's Tree: Poems About Families (2002) for Barefoot Books. She currently resides in Northern California with her husband, two children and a bevy of farm animals.

Customer Reviews

Nice story
My almost 3-year-old really enjoys when I read him this book. The text is not overlong, it's an smooth read, the dialogue is clever and the mother/son relationship has quite a bit of depth. The appendix page is good for older children to find out more details about Kenyan life, especially if they choose this book for a multicultural assignment.

It provides a surprising lesson on the pleasures of neighborliness.

Adorable story!
I found this book when I was searching for a story from Kenya. I was putting together a unit on Kenya for third graders and came across this book and fell in love with it. The mother and son have a sweet relationship and the message of sharing and community come through in the end. Wonderful illustrations and several reference pages at the end of the story. Mama Panya's recipe for pancakes are in there too. I made them and passed them around for my presentation.

I loved this book and used it for my unit and plan on purchasing it for my classroom in the future. A wonderful story!!

Great book -- and we like the recipe too!
We had fun with this book -- my daughter thought the boy was just being "bratty" until we talked about how everyone contributed and how sharing led to more for everyone. Then she "got it", and now requests we read it often. The recipe for the pancakes is also easy and kids are able to help. Great book -- we also loved the illustrations -- some parts reminded us of life in Haiti which our Haitian-American kids loved.