Tololwa M. Mollel

This story takes me back to the feeling I had as a child when I would save my change intentionally to buy something special, and I shared a similar sense of purpose and pride that Saruni felt. Although, he was much more selfless in his reason for saving- to help his mother with their daily work. The author builds up anticipation, when will he FINALLY save enough to get that bike, as he repeats the process of emptying his box, arranging the coins, and hoping for his dream bike. Saruni reminds show more us that sacrifice of our time and energy is so worth it and makes our reward that much sweeter. The illustrations in water color create scenes that come to life- making me feel as if these character are real, as if I know them, as if I am the one desiring to earn that bike to help my own mother. show less

I loved this book for a multitude of reasons. Firstly, this book gave a wonderful snapshot into the culture of Mollel’s childhood. This book transported you into this distant place, but with problems we have all experience, which brings me to my next point. This book is incredibly relatable. Almost every child has a memory of working hard to save for something they special they wanted and many also have the experience of not having enough and a parent swooping in to reward them for their show more hard work. Finally, the family bonds were very strong in this book. The selfless nature of our protagonist, Saruni, shows a wonderful example of the idea that families take care of each other. Saruni causes us to think how we have served our families and encourages us to participate more. show less

A young Tanzanian boy named Saruni longs to buy a bicycle so he can help his mother carry goods to the marketplace. He spots his bike – a beautiful red and blue one – and begins to save his money. Each time he earns some money, he pulls out his secret money box and lines his coins up in rows. He finally believes he has enough money and is crestfallen when the bicyle man laughs at him and the amount of money he brought in order to buy a bicycle. His parents learn of his disappointment and show more his dad sells him his own bicycle for the amount of money Saruni has saved. Then unexpectedly, he gives Saruni back his money.

This was such a sweet book about the sacrificial love this boy had for his parents and they for him. I also liked how it showed that even across the world, children in other cultures have difficulty learning to ride a bike for the first time. In addition, just as my children think a quarter is enough to buy anything they want in a toy story, there are little boys in Tanzania having difficult with the concept of money too. There are more similarities across cultures than there are differences.

In a classroom, I think it would be fun to have a “Price is Right” game where they guess how much items cost and then use paper money to count and purchase the item. There are also several pages with illustrations and text that describe the Tanzanian marketplace. It would be interesting to take a field trip to an outdoor market and compare the two. If they were Saruni, what would they pick out at the marketplace for which they would save their money? show less

A young boy in Tanzania saves the money he earns while working in the market with his mother. He is saving to buy a bicycle, which he believes will allow him to help his parents more at home. Although the other kids often ridicule him, he practises every chance he gets and, with the help of his father, he eventually learns. When he finally saves 350 coins he runs to the bike shop only to find out that, although 350 coins is an enormous amount to a young boy, it is no where near enough to buy show more a bicycle. Dejected, he returns home to Yoyo, but a surprise awaits.
This beautifully illustrated and wonderful tale manages to introduce themes that speak to experiences both universal and uniquely African. show less