My Rows and Piles of Coins
Set in a village in Tanzania in the early 1960s, this compelling story is based on a memory from the author's own childhood. Young Saruni has always helped his parents in the marketplace and they have frequently rewarded him with a ten-cent piece. What his parents don't know is that Saruni is secretly saving all his coins so that he may one day buy a bicycle to be even more help to his parents. Cultural details come through both in E.B. Lewis's sun-dappled watercolor illustrations and in the story itself, as we see the busy marketplace and realize that Saruni proudly contributes to his family's economic well-being. His strong desire to earn his own money to save up for something special, however, will certainly strike a chord of recognition with children in the United States today. ©1999 Cooperative Children's Book Center
Illustrated by E. B. Lewis
CCBC Age Recommendation: Ages 4-8
Age Range:
PreK-Early Elementary (Ages 4-7)
Grades 3-5 (Ages 8-10)
Format:
Picture book
Subjects:
20th Century
Families
Helpfulness
Historical Fiction
Money and Finances
Tanzanians and Tanzanian Americans
Wants and Needs
Diversity subject:
Black/African
Publisher:
Clarion
Publish Year: 1999
Pages: 32
ISBN: 0395751861
CCBC Location: Picture Book, Mollel