Handa's Surprise

I recently bought several picture books, even though my youngest is on the verge of outgrowing them. I’m not sure I’ll be able to stop myself buying picture books, though, even when she is several years older! She doesn’t try to read on her own yet, but she loved studying the pictures and figuring out the story. This is a book that needs both the gorgeous illustrations and the sparse text. The story is a delightful look at friendship, and the illustrations show many of the animals who live in Kenya.

I saw a mention of this book as a classic and since I'd never read it....

Handa puts 7 fruits in her basket for her friend. As she walks along, wondering what fruit her friend will like best and thinking about how surprised she will be, something mysterious is going on above her head! In the end, both Handa and her friend Akeyo are happily surprised.

This story definitely deserves classic status. The simple plot and the clever juxtaposition of what you see and what Handa is thinking are perfectly combined. Browne's art is colorful and has a warm, light-filled feeling. This one calls for multiple readings identifying fruit and animals, counting, and always a giggle at the surprise ending. The endpapers include a procession of fruit and show more animals for those stumped on identification.

Verdict: Highly recommended; there's a reason it's still in print!

ISBN: 978-0763608637; Published September 1999 by Candlewick; Borrowed from the library; Purchased for the library show less

I liked this book for many reasons. The illustrations are vibrantly drawn to enhance the story line, allowing readers to follow along through visuals. The illustrations detail Handas journey while giving a glimpse of the life is South Africa through the animals, scenery, nature, and apparel depicted in the images. The animals are drawn with great detail and color, bringing them to life while adding a comedic touch on the story. Told through Handas perspective and thoughts, first person, the language is very simple and clear with a short sentence on each page, yet descriptive, keeping the attention of the audience with wondering minds and short attention spans. The simple text yet detailed pictures really bring the story to life, show more gathering the readers attention, captivating them into the story, all while enhancing the plot of the book. The writing is engaging, in that it is humorous, which engages students. The reader can feel more involved and powerful while reading this story since they know something the character doesn't. This book brings to light the idea that less is more. This book can also encourage people to learn about different cultures, as they may not be familiar with some of the things represented in this book, such as particular animals and fruits native to South Africa, or why Handa is walking to her friends village with a basket on her head. show less

Handa's Surprise board book edition of a picture book classic, a delightful surprise colourfully unfolds when a little girl called Handa puts seven delicious fruits in a basket to take to her friend. A beautiful board book edition of a bestselling modern classic, this is the story of Handa, who's part of the Luo tribe in south-west Kenya. Handa decides to take seven pieces of delicious fruit to her friend, Akeyo, who lives in the neighbouring village.

There's a reason this book is still in print. It has a simple yet clever plot. The story deserves a classic status. Handa decides to put seven fruit in her basket and bring it to her friend in another village. As she heads toward the village, she wonders which fruit her friend will like best. What she doesn't know is that something mysterious is going on above her head. Animals are snatching her fruit as she walks! That's one reason I like this book. It's very cute with all of the animals being sneaky about stealing her fruit.
Another reason I like this book is because I think for students, especially the younger ones, they'll really enjoy the different animals that are stealing her fruit. The class could get a good discussion out of show more the different types of animals. At the end of the book, Handa bumps her basket into a tree and tangerines fall into her empty basket. Even though it wasn't the fruit she was expecting to give to her friend, they still enjoyed the fruit together. show less

I really enjoyed reading this book. The two things I really liked about this book was its plot and the point of view from which the story was told. The plot was great because it was short sweet and to the point. It moved along at a very nice pace and kept the reader interested throughout the whole book. There was also the element of added suspense of what was going to happen when she actually got to her friend in the next village and what she would think of the fruit. The other great thing was the point f view. The story was told in first person through the main character but the reader knew so much more that the main character. As the story went on and she was loosing fruit she had no idea, but the reader did. I thought this was a show more great way to get across the big idea that things are going to work out whether you worry about them or not. The main character had no idea she was loosing all of her fruit but in the end she got more fruit that her friend loved. show less

This short story is full of humor, charm, and joy. The characters, both human and animal, are beautifully designed. The text is simple and flows effortlessly as the illustrations add an additional layer to the story. Young children will love to see what happens to Handa's basket.