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The Matatu
Summary
Kioko had been watching the matatus come and go for as long as he could remember. But today, for his fifth birthday, he climbs aboard one with his grandfather. As the matatu pulls away from the market, the village dogs chase after them. When Kioko asks his grandfather why the dogs always bark and chase after matatus, his grandfather tells him an entertaining tale about a dog, a goat and a sheep. Set in East Africa, The Matatu is a colorful story filled with many unexpected turns and twists along the way.
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Reviews
Two pleasant aspects to this story: the warm interaction between boy and grandfather, and the folkloric story grandfather tells about why the goats, sheep and dogs chase act they way they do around the matatu (bus).
In The Matatu, Kioko is finally riding the Matatu (bus) to Machakos with his grandfather. On the way, he notices dogs chasing the bus. He asks his grandfather why they do that. His grandfather tells him the story of when the goat, the sheep, and the dog rode the Matatu long ago. This was a very pretty book. The illustrations were interesting and clearly inspired by the setting (Africa). It had some small math in it. It also taught about responsibility, patience, and respect. Overall, it was pretty good. It would be a good read-aloud or independent read for 2nd grade and up as it's a bit slow-moving.
Appealing depiction of a grandfather-grandson relationship.