Fatuma's New Cloth

by Leslie Bulion, Nicole Tadgell (Illustrator)

In East Africa, a young girl learns that one cannot always judge by appearances as she and her mother visit a market in search of kanga cloth and meet merchants who all claim they have the secret to good chai (tea).

Genres: Africa, Picture Books, Family, Cultural, Food

32 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2002

About the author

March 1, 2015 (Peachtree)

Funnny and challenging anatomy riddles in a variety of poetic forms with a hint of Shakespeare!
www.lesliebulion.com

Reviews

[Katie Bruff · Rating 5 out of 5]

In "Fatuma's New Cloth," a little girl and her mother go to an African marketplace in search of cloth for a new dress. During this trip, the little girl helps the readers explore the East African perception and their culture and traditions. She learned how people there interpret things very different than what she would think. This is a great book about diversity for children to learn about other cultures besides their own.

[Jackie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fatuma goes to the market with her mother to buy cloth for her new kanga. While at the market, both mother and daughter discuss with the vendors the secret to making sweet chai.Fatuma's New Cloth illustrates the Swahili saying of "Don't judge the tea by its color."

The connection between the tea and the cloth is a little befuddling, although the illustrations are glorious.

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

A delightful book that gives young readers a glimpse into a part of the world and cultures that they would rarely encounter. The storyline is engaging and the illustrations are breathtaking. I've given this book as a gift to several youngsters and it has been one of their early favorite storybooks

[Paula · Rating 3 out of 5]

A beautiful story about a mother and a daughter who go to the market to get her a new cloth but they learn about chai tea and it's ingredients. What makes it so special is what you don't see.

[Kate Hastings · Rating 3 out of 5]

Grades K-3. You can't judge a book by it's cover-- or in swahili, "don't be fooled by the color, the good flavor of tea is the sugar."

[Rani · Rating 3 out of 5]

Chai, Kanga, and Fatuma's visit to market to pick up her first Kanga is retold in this wonderful story.