Bridget Krone

Culture, life lessons, wit, and good-natured fun are masterfully woven into a warm-hearted tale, which will keep you in the pages until the very end.

Boi lives with his grandmother and father in their very small, two room house. They survive, but it's hard. When he stumbles on the story of a man trading a paperclip up to a house, he's determined to see if he can do the same. With clay from the river, he forms a makeshift cow and announces his hope to trade it for something...anything with a bit of value. The trading soon takes the strangest twists and turns, and the direction it goes proves much richer than any house could ever be.

This book holds quite a few themes, making it a very versatile read. First, it takes a look at South Africa and touches lightly upon the apartheid, history, and circumstances it's caused. There is a short section, before the story begins, which explains all of this briefly but well enough to give readers a foothold before diving into the tale. While the story follows Boi and his trading adventure, the details of the town, people, and daily life mold in effortlessly and give the reader a very good glimpse at life in this area. So, this is a great read to also use when exploring this area of the world.

Next, is the heart of the tale. Boi's determination to help his family is inspiring. The friendliness and connection of the community is also palpable. Yet, it's not perfect, which lets the sparks of kindness pop out even more. Boi learns that decisions can mean more than it appears and grows with each choice.

Lastly, the tale is simply fun. Boi is easy to connect with and has an engaging personality. He struggles with usual problems such as parents, friendship, and peers and has very normal worries and fears. And these do come across familiar even when they take place under different circumstances and living conditions. There's always something happening, keeping boredom away, and it's impossible to guess what's going to happen next on the trading end because this does sprout in the oddest ways.

Not only is this one a nice read (and not overly long), but it can also be used for classrooms, homeschoolers, or other group themes.… (más)

A story about Boi and Potso, who are bored, frustrated, and poor. One day Boi hears about the paperclip swap that led to a house, and decides to start his own version with Potso's help. With a set-up like this, it could so easily be cloying or sentimental. It could so so easily veer into didactic lesson-teaching. But it doesn't. The boys are realistically and convincingly drawn. Their home village of Cedarville is full of interesting characters but also of people who are living right on the edge of survival with hopes and dreams of their own. They care for each other, and they resolutely move on when there is something that cannot be helped. It's an interesting mix of humor and deep practicality that is somehow transported by Boi's quixotic quest. I expect to see the word heartwarming applied often and with sincerity, because it is, indeed, a heartwarming story. It's also a funny and hopeful one, with some great friendship dynamics.

When I say that the characters are realistically and convincingly drawn, please note that I am a White American reader, and the author is a White South African woman, so honestly I have no idea how realistic or convincing these two Black boys would be to people who would know better. I found it to be an enjoyable read, one that showed me a very different day-to-day life than the one I know, and I appreciated it.

Advanced Reader's Copy provided by Edelweiss.… (más)