Gift of the Sun: A Tale from South Africa

The South African creators of The Dove turn out a lighthearted story about a husband and wife and their small farm. Trying to reduce his workload so as to spend more time basking in the sun, Thulani decides to sell their cow and buy a goat instead (""I'm tired of all this milking,"" he says to himself). When the goat eats the couple's entire store of dried corn, Thulani sells it and gets a sheep instead. This sequential tale has the fellow replacing one animal after another, until finally he trades three geese for some sunflower seeds that unexpectedly change the farm's fortunes and cure Thulani of his lazy ways. Kids will be pleased as the story comes satisfyingly full-circle with Thulani's reform effected without any didacticism. Creatively tinkering with traditional perspective and scale, Daly's comically detailed, folk art-like pictures have the same playfulness as Stewart's storytelling. Ages 5-up. (Sept.)