Rating: Very Good
2006, Marshall Cavendish, $16.95
ISBN: 0761452257
A lively Palestinian folktale in which a woman who wishes for a child is given a little cooking pot to love. Mother and child spend nice days together indoors, but soon Little Pot wants to explore the wider world. Her adventures take her to the market and even the king's palace, and every time she manages to roll away with valuable goods under her lid, which she is most reluctant to relinquish. She does receive a stinky comeuppance though, and is made to stay at home until she learns right from wrong. The briskly paced text, repetitive phrases and tumbling rythms, as well as the striking, richly hued and stylized acrylics bordered with Islamic motifs help leaven the didactic message, and make this an enchanting tale to share with all young children.
Reviewer: Beatrice Carswell, OCPL/West Garden Grove
