The Matatu

March 19, 2012
Kioko is celebrating his fifth birthday with his grandfather by riding on the matatu, or public bus, in his East African village. Onboard, the boy’s grandfather shares a Kamba folktale about why dogs chase after the matatu, goats run away from it, and the sheep do nothing (riding on the matatu one day, the sheep pays exact fair, the dog overpays and expects change, while the goat skips away without paying). Campbell fills her oil paintings with bright colors and commotion, portraying her animals with trickster-like characteristics. Walters offers tender insight into a grandfather and grandson relationship, while depicting a unique cultural experience. Ages 4–8.

July 1, 2012
The first time Kenyan boy Kioko rides a matatu (bus), his grandfather tells the Kikuyu tale of why goats run from the matatu, sheep ignore it, and dogs chase after it, barking. The lengthy text gives a full picture of East African public transportation. Rough-textured oil-on-canvas illustrations cover both realistic scenes and the more fantastical ones from the folktale.

(Copyright 2012 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

March 15, 2012
A modern Kenyan folktale about the colorful vans that carry people, animals and supplies underpins a story about Kioko, an astute but literal-minded boy, and his grandfather. While the pair take a ride on the boy's fifth birthday, Kioko asks why dogs run after matatus. Grandfather uses the opportunity to tell a story about why dogs chase after, sheep ignore and goats run away from the vans. Kioko interrupts his grandfather when confronted with silly ideas like animals talking and riding matatus, but as his grandfather describes a ride during which the dog never got his proper change, a sheep paid his fare exactly and a goat ran off without paying at all, the boy begins to understand both animal and human behavior. The boy asks his grandfather for a cash birthday present and then hands it to the conductor. He maturely tells the man that he is paying for the fare-beating goat, but in return, the conductor must give the dog back his money. Oil paintings provide realistic details of contemporary rural Kenya but include a few spreads in which the animals humorously take on anthropomorphic characteristics. The author's note, drawing upon his Kenyan experiences, will amuse adults, but the full point of the story may elude youngsters, who are likely to be just as literal-minded as Kioko. Nevertheless, the love and respect shown between Kioko and his grandfather is both universal and sweetly evident. (Picture book. 5-7)

COPYRIGHT(2012) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

May 1, 2012

K-Gr 2-In this congenial tale of daily life in Kenya, Kioko celebrates his fifth birthday by taking a special bus ride with his grandfather. The matatu is a colorful, overloaded bus that the child has longed to ride. He wonders why barking dogs always chase it, and his grandfather tells him a simple tale explaining why. Walters adds a closing note for adults about the local practices of the matatu and its driver and conductor. The short story that grandfather tells is an adaptation of a Kamba folktale, and an opening note by the director of the Kenyan organization Creation of Hope explains that the author has been made a Kamba elder, which gives him the right to tell this tribally owned tale. Campbell uses lightly brushed oil paints to sketch the yellow bus, its multitude of passengers and luggage, and the passing terrain. The enjoyable view of life in this faraway country beautifully frames a universal special relationship between a child and a grandparent. Children and adults will smile at Kioko's concluding action in response to his grandfather's tale. With considerable conversation between Kioko and his grandfather, the text is a bit long and detailed for reading aloud to groups, but the book should be widely appealing and useful.-Margaret Bush, Simmons College, Boston

Copyright 2012 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

May 15, 2012
Preschool-G With a wry mix of realism and folklore, Walters draws on his work in rural Kenya to tell the story of Kioko, who, for the first time, on his fifth birthday, gets to ride the crowded matatu, a public bus that transports people and goods. Campbell's bright, mischievous watercolors show the passengers on the crowded seats with the conductor picking his way down the aisle collecting fares, along with close-up images of Kioko as he listens to his beloved grandpa tell a story while they drive through dusty roads past huts, houses, and market stalls. Along with the vivid setting, there is a playful story based on a Kamba folktale. Why do dogs always chase matatus? Why do sheep ignore the bus? Why do goats run away? It turns out that there is a past history of unpaid debts, so the boy tries to settle things. The bond between Kioko and his grandpa will grab kids, and so will the sly twist when the boy tries to fix things and change the old folktale.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2012, American Library Association.)