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Saturday, January 12, 2013

Kid Konnection: A Good Trade by Alma Fullerton

A Good Trade by Alma Fullerton, illustrated by Karen Patkau
Pajama Press
ISBN: 978-0986949593
Published Oct 15, 2012
Hardcover, 32 pages, Ages 5+


A simple but powerful story on the value of a gift. I read this book with my son and we had a wonderful discussion on the lives of other children in distant lands and the value we place on material objects. I could see it made him reflect deeply.

Kato is a boy who lives in a small Ugandan village. He is a poor but happy boy who wakes at dawn to get the family their supply of daily water. When he returns to the village square he stops to peek in the aid-worker's truck where he sees something amazing—brand-new pairs of shoes! Kato does not own any shoes, but this young boy does not take things for granted and manages to find something beautiful to trade for them.

With few words and illustrations that use earth tone colors with splashes of bright, patterned ones, this book conveys a heartwarming story about a boy who, despite living in a country ravaged by a generation of civil war and drought, can find joy in the gift of shoes and likewise show gratitude. This story opened up many questions for my eight-year old son. Where does the aid-worker get the things to give to the village? Can we also send shoes to children in Africa who are barefoot?

The best discussion we had though was about materialism and appreciating what we already have without always wanting more. It's a good lesson from the book that isn't forced or thrown at the child reading it, but beautifully illustrated by Kato and his simple and touching actions. A truly beautiful book!

Note: This book is rated C = clean read.

Reviewed by Laura & Son

Disclosure: Thanks to Erin Wood from Pajama Press for sending us this book for review. We were not compensated in any other way, nor told how to rate or review this product.

Every Saturday, Booking Mama hosts a feature called Kid Konnection—a regular weekend feature about anything related to children's books. If you'd like to participate in Kid Konnection and share a post about anything related to children's books (picture, middle grade, or young adult) from the past week, visit Booking Mama.

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1 comment :

  1. This quiet story follows a Ugandan boy as he pumps a day's supply of water at the village well. Although the day starts ordinarily enough, this day is special. The aid workers' truck has come with a gift.

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