{"product_id":"the-market-bowl-isbn-9781580893688","title":"The Market Bowl","description":"Yoyo has listened to Mama Cécile’s song about how to make ndolé (bitterleaf stew) her entire life—long enough to know how to make it herself, now that she is finally old enough. But slicing the bitterleaf, grinding the pumpkin, measuring out the shrimp—it just takes too long. Yoyo is confident that her variation on the stew will be good enough.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAs Mama Cécile and Yoyo set off to market, Mama reminds Yoyo what will happen if she refuses a fair price for the stew—Brother Coin, the Great Spirit of the Market, will put a curse on their market bowl. When Yoyo refuses to heed Mama’s advice, she is faced with the task of trying to regain a blessing from the god himself.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAn original folktale set in modern-day Cameroon, THE MARKET BOWL teaches readers a lesson about patience, humility, and the value of a fair price. Back matter includes further information about Cameroon and its people and traditions as well as a recipe for ndolé—Cameroon’s national food dish.Yoyo's mother says that no fair price for bitterleaf stew  can be refused; to do so risks angering Brother Coin, the Great Spirit  of the Market.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAfter rushing her preparations, the Cameroonian girl turns down a customer who offers ten-ten \u003ci\u003esay-fah\u003c\/i\u003e for her poor concoction (her mother says it's fit only for the goats),  instead of the usual fifty-fifty paid for Mama Cécile's excellent stew.  Their luck sours, and Yoyo decides that she must appease Brother Coin.  When she does so, she witnesses a scary sight. The god, a caricature of a  greedy man, refuses his blessing to a beseeching merchant and makes him  disappear. Yoyo then uses her market bowl to make a perfect portion of  bitterleaf stew. Brother Coin laps up the dish after making a hurried  blessing only at the girl's insistence. In a confusing ending, the Great  Spirit says he still will not grant wishes, but gives Yoyo back her  special bowl, used for collecting coins at their stall. The girl  miraculously arrives at home, and mother and daughter now prosper due to  Yoyo's change of character. The slightly satiric edge of the images,  combining deeply colored acrylic paintings with collage in Photoshop,  creates a contemporary look for this original tale. Adapted recipe  included.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAlthough the text lacks the heft of  traditional folklore, the author\/illustrator draws on his Peace Corps  background to cook up a cautionary, but tasty look at life in Cameroon.\u003cbr\u003e-\u003ci\u003eKirkus Reviews\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/i\u003eBold, bright mixed-media illustrations bring extra punch  to this original tale from Cameroon. Mama Cécile is a wonderful cook,  especially when it comes to making bitterleaf stew. She sings to Yoyo as  she teaches her how to make it. Yoyo grows tired of watching her mother  and thinks she can make her own stew without following a recipe. When  hers is found to be less than appetizing and Mama instructs her to feed  it to the goats, the child hides it instead. After Mama's stew is  finished, she heaps it into a bowl and asks for the ancestors' blessing  on it. \"You must always ask a fair price for our food,\" instructs Mama,  or Brother Coin will remove the blessings of our ancestors from the  bowl. Mama's stew is quickly sold at the market. When one more customer  requests it, Yoyo produces her own bowl. The buyer refuses her price, so  Yoyo lets his coins fall to the ground. No one buys Mama's stew for  many weeks, and Yoyo realizes she must think of a clever way to trick  Brother Coin into returning his blessing. Mama and Yoyo are dressed in  delightful printed clothing, and the busy marketplace is a feast of  patterns and color. Similarly, Brother Coin is a giant of a man who sits  upon a rock throne doling out his form of justice for rule breakers  with a comedic quality. This is a gem of a tale that will feed the soul,  and the recipe for Mama Cécile's stew is included.\u003ci\u003e\u003cbr\u003e-School Library Journal\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/i\u003eIn Africa’s Cameroon, Mama Cecile is teaching young Yoyo  the ways of cooking and selling their delicious bitterleaf stew at  market. Mama Cecile shows Yoyo all the necessary steps to make the stew  taste just right. Impatient with all the grinding and chopping, Yoyo  shortcuts the directions and makes a hurry-up version of the stew. When  Mama Cecile tastes Yoyo’s stew, she tells her it is only good enough for  the goats and not their market customers. Yoyo refuses to listen and  slips her stew into the basket for market. Mama has also cautioned Yoyo  that she should always accept a fair price for the stew at risk of  making Brother Coin, the Great Spirit of the Market, angry and punitive.  Yoyo and Mama Cecile arrive at the market, and it is Yoyo’s first day  to sit on the seller’s stool at the market. When a customer comes along  and tastes Yoyo’s version of bitterleaf stew, he offers a very low price  which Yoyo refuses and lets the coins fall to the ground instead of  into the coin bowl. Sure enough, this action drives away customers,  proving Mama is right when Brother Coin is angry. Yoyo must now think of  a way to get back the blessing of Brother Coin. Illustrated with boldly  colorful mixed media illustrations and a cowrie shell motif, the images  add to the folklore style of this original tale of Cameroon. Readers  can learn more about the back story of this Peace Corps  volunteer-turned-author at his website. For interested cooks, the recipe for bitterleaf stew is included. Teachers will also enjoy the downloadable guide and activities from the publisher’s website.\u003ci\u003e\u003cbr\u003e-Reading Today Online\u003c\/i\u003eJim Averbeck was a Peace Corps volunteer in Cameroon from 1990 until 1994. He is the author of IN A BLUE ROOM, a 2009 Charlotte Zolotow Honor Book. He is the author and illustrator of EXCEPT IT and OH NO, LITTLE DRAGON! Jim lives in San Francisco, California.Mama Cécile scooped out two helpings of her bitterleaf stew and, as always, asked the ancestors for a blessing on the food.\u003cbr\u003e             After breakfast she pulled out an enameled tin bowl.\u003cbr\u003e             “Yoyo, this is our market bowl, where we collect the money people pay for our stew. You must never, ever, refuse a fair price. If you do—”\u003cbr\u003e             “I know, Mama,” Yoyo interrupted. “Brother Coin, Great Spirit of the Market, will be so angry he’ll remove his blessing from our bowl. Let’s go!”","brand":"Charlesbridge","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46300762046693,"sku":"NP9781580893688","price":16.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1842\/7735\/files\/9781580893688.jpg?v=1767740422","url":"https:\/\/k12savings.com\/products\/the-market-bowl-isbn-9781580893688","provider":"K12savings","version":"1.0","type":"link"}