All Aboard for the Bobo Road

by Stephen Davies, Christopher Corr (Illustrator)

Overview

All aboard for the Bobo Road! Fatima and Galo load the luggage while their dad Big Ali drives the bus. Help count bikes, sacks of rice, melons and even goats and chickens as the bus travels past Gurunsi houses, the hippo lake, waterfalls and jungle, all the way to Bobo. With the authentic setting in Burkina Faso drawn from the author's own experience, this is a wonderfully fun introduction for small children to an amazing culture.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781512415988
Publisher:	Andersen Press USA
Publication date:	09/01/2016
Pages:	32
Product dimensions:	9.50(w) x 11.10(h) x 0.50(d)
Lexile:	AD550L (what's this?)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Stephen Davies is a missionary living amongst Fulani herders in West Africa. He speaks Fulfulde, eats millet, and accompanies cattle-drives. He also write for the Guardian Weekly (Letters from Burkina Faso). Have a look at his website: www.voiceinthedesert.org.uk.

Christopher Corr was born in London and studied at The Royal College of Art. His round-the-world travels provide much inspiration for his work. He has recently been working on some children's books.

Editorial Reviews

"This unique counting book is created with vivid paintings highlighting the vibrancy of life in southwest Burkina Faso in Africa. The clothes, textiles, food, flora, and fauna are all bursting with color as a bus travels down a beautifully diverse route ('the most beautiful road in the world!'), which is nicely mapped out on the endpapers. Fatima and Galo, the children of the bus driver, Big Ali, get to ride up top, securing the luggage of passengers (successively numbered but, oddly, beginning with five objects), which ranges from inanimate belongings (cooking oil, rice) to the very animate (ducks, goats, chickens). There are plenty of opportunities for counting—the obvious passengers and luggage, of course, but also the less obvious, like trees. Arrival at Bobo station in the big city highlights the important roles the bus, bus driver, and Fatima and Galo—who are duly rewarded—have played. The numerous vibrant details make this a great choice not only as a counting primer but also for use as an introduction to Burkina Faso culture and geography."—Booklist

From the Publisher

09/01/2016
PreS-Gr 2—Fatima and Galo are helping their father, Big Ali, by loading the luggage for a trip to Bobo. Traveling along the Bobo Road in Burkina Faso, the children have the best view of the wild animals, waterfalls, and rock domes all around them because they ride on top of the bus. In this colorful picture book, readers are transported to West Africa for an everyday adventure to an extraordinary place. The tale capitalizes on the sights and sounds surrounding the children but also attempts to integrate counting in the narrative of the text. From the front flap, readers are instructed to "help count three bikes, seven melons, and even ten chickens," and the narrative does include a progressive buildup of things added to the bus (two mopeds, three bicycles, four cans of cooking oil, etc.); however, counting is never reinforced through the design of the text or any repetition in the story. Corr's images are vibrant folk-style depictions, created with gouache, that invite readers to experience a new kind of bus ride. VERDICT A light, fun read-aloud with some unusual twists.—Megan Egbert, Meridian Library District, ID

School Library Journal

2016-06-28
Climb onboard a busy bus in Burkina Faso.A brother and sister accompany their father as he drives his minibus on a long and winding road to Bobo in Burkina Faso. Fatima and Galo are excited to begin their journey, one that passes hippos in the lake, waterfalls, old rock domes, and forests. As they enter the city, they drive by fruit stands and the Grand Mosque, finally ending the trip at a railway station. The people, their luggage, sacks of rice, yams, watermelons, ducks, goats, and chickens—all come off. The travelers can now sell their wares, cook, and ride off on their bicycles and mopeds (also on the bus). But wait, there is one more wrapped package, and it is the best treat for Fatima and Galo: a “huge pot of rice, beans, and fried fish!” Davies, author of Don’t Spill the Milk!, also illustrated by Corr (2013), who has lived in West Africa for years, gives readers an enchanting portrait of daily life along with opportunities to count goats, hippos, ducks, and more. Corr’s folk-style gouache paintings pulsate with energy, bright colors, and design patterns. The natural world, the people, and the animals of Burkina Faso all have great appeal. Double-page maps open and close the tale, highlighting the colorful route. A delightful introduction to a lively way of life. (Picture book. 4-7)

Kirkus Reviews