( 4 reviews )
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Posted: Dec 19 2008
This is generally a very good book - it's about a kid who goes from house to house in her neighborhood. In each house, a different national origin is represented (Indian, Salvadoran, Italian, Lebanese, etc.) and so the kid talks to each of them, they each are making a bread unique to their culture, and it's all done in a respectful and gently humorous way. EXCEPT for one house. At that one house, the kid is rude to her ("What d'ya want?"), they don't speak grammatically (see above), and there is "loud music playing" that makes communication initially difficult. This one house? The African-American house. When we read this book to our African-American 4-year-old, we, frankly, wince. Why dooes one, and only one, culture, have negative stereotypes presented with it?
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Posted: Aug 15 2008
I loved how the character wanders through her neighborhhod and experiences a world of cultures. She gets to taste breads from all over the world. I feel it sends the message that although we are all so very different we are all still part of the same community.
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( 2 of 2 found this review helpful ) Posted: Jan 4 2006
This is a great book. I read it with my 2 pre-schoolers, and they love it. I disagree that it is not a bed time story. We read it anytime during the day. We have been making the bread at home as a project. The recipes are delicious (esp the coconut bread). I would highly recommend this book as an educational and fun book for children.
