 Nora is hungry and anxiously awaits a delicious Saturday dinner of couscous, meat, and vegetables. While her Moroccan-born baba, which means father, prepares the meal, he tells her a story from his childhood in the High Atlas Mountains. During a time of famine, Baba learns valuable life lessons of perseverance, patience, and hope when Nora’s grandfather has to travel far to find work. Each day, Nora’s father hopes for the butter man to pass through his village so he can enjoy the savory taste of butter on the little bread he has. Finally when Nora’s grandfather returns, he brings food that is prepared into a wonderful feast. In the months that follow grandfather’s return, rain begins to fall and the earth can sustain crops once again. Colorful gouache illustrations add to the warm, hopeful tone of the engrossing story that presents what it may feel like to experience scarcity in a sensitive, poignant manner. An author’s note delves deeper into village life, peddlers who walk from village to village, traditional clothing, and customs of Berbers, native people of North Africa. cc |
| Title: The Butter Man Author: Elizabeth Alalou and Ali Alalou Illustrator: Julie Klear Essakalli Publisher: Charlesbridge Copyright: 2011 Original language: English ISBN: 978-1-58089-128-8 Paperback pages: 32 Age range: 6-9 Genre: Picture book Book setting: Morocco Author’s ethnicity: Moroccan Author’s residence: United States Illustrator’s residence: Morocco Awards: 2009 Middle East Book Award Subjects: Atlas Mountains, Berbers, Drought, Family, Famine, Hardship, Imazighen, Meals, Moroccan culture, Morocco, North Africa, Travel |
The Butter Man
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When Papa Rabbit doesn’t return home as expected after many seasons of working in the great carrot and lettuce fields of El Norte, Pancho sets out on a dangerous journey to find him. He packs up Papa’s favorite meal: mole, rice and beans, warm tortillas and a jug of aguamiel. A cunning coyote offers to guide Pancho on his journey in exchange for some of the sustenance he brought along. The pair travel until all the food is gone and the coyote decides he’s still hungry…for rabbit. In this allegorical tale, Tonatiuh sheds light on the hardships faced by thousands of families who seek out opportunities at better lives for their children and cross the Mexican border into the U.S. illegally. cc
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