The Shaking Bag

by Gwendolyn Battle-Lavert

An old African-American woman willingly shares all she has and is repaid with a bag that provides for all her needs.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens

32 pages, Hardcover

First published March 1, 2000

Reviews

[The Brothers · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another folk tale-y sort of story about a poor woman who always shares what little she has with her friends the birds. One day a young man - with eyes that look eerily similar to a raven she had feed earlier that day - shows up asking for a place to stay. The woman graciously brings her into her home and the young man ends up giving her a "shaking bag" that provides whatever she needs when she shakes it.

The illustrations were kind of odd, as the hands of the people seemed really ill-proportioned.

[Lesley Looper · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the folktale feel of this story about generosity. I also liked the birds and birdhouses.