| My Father's Shop | ||||
 |
Ichikawa, Satomi ;
Ichikawa, Satomi (illus.)
My Father's Shop.
La Jolla: Kane / Miller, 2006. $15.95,
ISBN 978 1 929132 997 .
Review In Satomi Ichikawa's delightful and colorful story, My Father's Shop, we follow the adventure of young Mustafa as he learns about his father's trade as a rug seller in a southern Moroccan town and about communicating with others, in this case, tourists from around the world. After asking for and receiving a rug of his very own, Mustafa goes through the village to show his friends his new acquisition. However, in the company of a local rooster, he meets up with friendly tourists who teach how to "speak rooster" in French, Spanish, English and Japanese. Excited to share his new knowledge with his father, he returns to the rug shop, bringing all of his new friends along with him. Despite the limited glimpse of Moroccan life presented in this story, it is told with cultural accuracy and colorful artistry brought to life by the artwork of Satomi Ichikawa. The rich colors and patterns of Moroccan carpets mix with vivid drawings of local village life, snapshots of the marketplace and the presentation of a variety of international tourists who make up the customers of the rug shop. Though the book presents a perspective which is limited to a tourist-focused economy as found in a southern Moroccan town, the book is still highly recommended for primary school students age 5-8. Copyright 2007 Africa Access. All rights reserved.
Reviewed by: Lynne Dahmen, PhD in Comparative Literature Subject: North Africa / Morocco / Fiction / CABA honor / Urban settings / City and town life |
|||