Matepo - Softcover

Angela, McAllister

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1854060465 ISBN 13: 9781854060464

Publisher: ABC/The All Children's Co., 1990

Synopsis

Through a series of exchanges with the animals he meets on his walk through the jungle, Matepo the monkey winds up with the perfect birthday gift for his mother.

About this title

From Publishers Weekly:

Kindhearted Matepo the monkey wants nothing more than to bring home some fruit "as a present for his mother," but he gets caught up in one situation after another; each involves a trade of goods. A sympathetic snake named Ssurstet starts the chain reaction by giving Matepo a necklace to replace his fruit, lost in a fall. After that, there are porcupine quills, tailfeathers and--finally--an armload of "sweet nanas, plump yamas and fragrant juleberries" to take to mother. Watercolors with a batik look introduce the reader to Matepo's world, and a vibrant one it is, with borders above and below the primary illustrations that echo an element of the story. McAllister's ( Snail's Birthday Problem ) fanciful character names (Pati-pol-pol the parrot, Quilla the porcupine) are perfectly suited to Newton's ( Of Pelicans and Pussycats ) expressive creatures. The book's bold design--tropical colors balanced with airy white space--creates a glorious environment for this story of animal cooperation on a jaunty jungle junket. Ages 4-8.
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal:

PreSchool-Grade 3-- Matepo the monkey gathers an armload of fresh fruit as a present for his mother, but he loses it when he trips on a coiled anaconda. The snake, feeling sorry, gives him a necklace of pearly shells, but helpful, good-natured Matepo makes several more trades--with a parrot, an alligator, a porcupine, and an orangutan--before finally arriving at home with a gift for his mother. Inch-wide borders repeat details from the large, brightly colored double-page paintings in clear watercolors and ink. Outlines and lots of white space add to the striking batik effect. There is a lilt to the telling of this original tale that brings to mind tropical islands, and the creatures' names--Matepo, Ssur, Pati-pol-pol, Quilla, Emeraldo, Oro--add to this ethnicity. Even the bright green foilage with fanciful birds and butterflies on the endpapers enhance the book's attractive format. Read aloud, this story will provide both auditory and visual pleasure. --Susan Scheps, Shaker Heights Public Library, OH
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About this edition

• Publisher: ABC/The All Children's Co.
• Publication date: 1990
• ISBN 10: 1854060465
• ISBN 13: 9781854060464
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 32