Kelly Cunnane

Young Chirchir is anxious to help her family at the various jobs but learns to share her special talent. Folk art and lyrical language enhance this tale set in rural Kenya.

Lalla wants a malafa, but gets it only when she discovers what it means. Set “deep in the Sahara,” the culture is evoked by handsome illustrations including the beautiful, textured malafas worn by the women in Lalla’s family. The author’s note reveals that the setting is Mauritania in West Africa which also details malafa use in Mauritanian culture.