What's Cooking, Jamela?

The exuberant heroine of Jamela's Dress returns in a new adventure, What's Cooking, Jamela? by Niki Daly, that finds her determined to save Christmas, her pet chicken, from a starring role in the family's holiday meal. In a most satisfactory ending, Mama and Jamela prepare a vegetarian meal for the family instead. The tale opens a window on South African culture, from a school nativity play (""Jamela played Mary and carried baby Jesus on her back like a real mama"") to brightly patterned fabrics and a sprinkling of colorful Xhosa and Zulu vocabulary. (Oct.)