About the Author

Tololwa M. Mollel, an Arusha Maasai from Tanzania, grew up on his grandfather's coffee farm. He has a B.A. from the University of Dar es Salaam and a M.A. from the University of Alberta, Canada. The author of many picture books, he has published ten with Clarion. He lives in Edmonton, Canada.

E. B. Lewis, award-winning illustrator and fine artist, has illustrated more than seventy-five books for children, including the Caldecott Honor winner Coming on Home Soon. He won the Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award for Talkin' About Bessie and has earned the Coretta Scott Kind Illustrator Honor Award four times. After graduating from the Tyler School of Art at Temple University, Lewis taught art in public schools for twelve years. He now teaches at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts. Visit eblewis.com.

Reviews

"The characters shine in this well and simply told tale, with its neatly, but not too deeply, buried lesson."

-- Kirkus Reviews"Many children will relate to what it's like to save, plan, and count towards a dream" -- Booklist"A warm family story contains several universal childhood experiences: the pride in persevering and gaining a new skill and in making an unselfish contribution to the family. . . . the fluid, light-splashed watercolor illustrations lend a sense of place and authenticity. Watching Saruni's savings mount visu-ally is a nice touch. . . . Deft and effective." -- School Library Journal (starred review)"In an ending that makes this selfless hero an inspiration to readers, Saruni contemplates using his savings to buy a cart to pull behind his bike, to further lighten the loads his mother must carry. Lewis's engaging and lifelike paintings convincingly portray a range of images and emotions, including the verdant Tanzanian landscape and bustling marketplace, and, most affectingly, the strong bond between this boy and his loving parents." -- Publishers Weekly (starred review)