Handa puts seven delicious fruits in a basket to take to her friend, Akeyo. But as she walks, carrying the basket on her head, various creatures steal her fruits. A monkey takes the banana, an ostrich the guava, a zebra the orange, an elephant the mango, a giraffe the pineapple, an antelope the avocado and a parrot the passion fruit. Handa walks on, wondering which of the fruits her friend will like best, without knowing that her basket is now empty. But then, behind her, a goat charges into a tangerine tree and fills Handa's basket with the fruit. "Hello, Akeyo," she greets her friend. "I've brought you a surprise." But when she lifts off her basket, it's Handa who gets the biggest surprise.

I really enjoyed reading this book. The two things I really liked about this book was its plot and the point of view from which the story was told. The plot was great because it was short sweet and to the point. It moved along at a very nice pace and kept the reader interested throughout the whole book. There was also the element of added suspense of what was going to happen when she actually got to her friend in the next village and what she would think of the fruit. The other great thing was the point f view. The story was told in first person through the main character but the reader knew so much more that the main character. As the story went on and she was loosing fruit she had no idea, but the reader did. I thought this was a great way to get across the big idea that things are going to work out whether you worry about them or not. The main character had no idea she was loosing all of her fruit but in the end she got more fruit that her friend loved. ( )

I liked this book for many reasons. The illustrations are vibrantly drawn to enhance the story line, allowing readers to follow along through visuals. The illustrations detail Handas journey while giving a glimpse of the life is South Africa through the animals, scenery, nature, and apparel depicted in the images. The animals are drawn with great detail and color, bringing them to life while adding a comedic touch on the story. Told through Handas perspective and thoughts, first person, the language is very simple and clear with a short sentence on each page, yet descriptive, keeping the attention of the audience with wondering minds and short attention spans. The simple text yet detailed pictures really bring the story to life, gathering the readers attention, captivating them into the story, all while enhancing the plot of the book. The writing is engaging, in that it is humorous, which engages students. The reader can feel more involved and powerful while reading this story since they know something the character doesn't. This book brings to light the idea that less is more. This book can also encourage people to learn about different cultures, as they may not be familiar with some of the things represented in this book, such as particular animals and fruits native to South Africa, or why Handa is walking to her friends village with a basket on her head. ( )

Hands puts 7 fruits into the basket on her head. slowly the animals take the fruits from her but at the end a goat hits a tree and fill her basket with tangerines.
cute book to introduce counting
1 book

A modern classic named one of the best culturally diverse picture books in the UK, this is the story of Handa, who's part of the Luo tribe in south-west Kenya. Handa decides to take seven pieces of delicious fruit to her friend, Akeyo, who lives in the neighbouring village. But as Akeyo wonders, I wonder what fruit Akeyo will like best?, a series of sneaky animals steal something from Handa's basket, which she's carrying on her head...When Handa reaches Akeyo, will she have anything left to offer her friend? (review from Amazon)

This is a link to an animation of the book. https://youtu.be/y1Vmf4Cwvls