The Magic Moonberry Jump Ropes

April and her sister Erica love to jump Double Dutch, but nobody else in the neighborhood wants to jump rope, until Uncle Zambezi arrives with a pair of magical jump ropes from Africa, in a colorful story filled with lively jump rope rhymes.

Grade 1-3?Uncle Zambezi returns from Africa and brings a set of beautifully dyed jump-ropes for his nieces April and Erica, and the girls turn a boring summer vacation into one filled with new friends and fun. Traditional jump-rope rhymes are made multicultural, e.g., "Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear turn around" is adapted to "Nubian Princess turn around." This book is short on plot, characters appear from out of the blue and don't contribute to the story, and the section on how the ropes were dyed in Tanzania is not smoothly woven into the narrative. The high-quality watercolors are very expressive and are largely responsible for any character development. They greatly outshine the lackluster text.?Christina Linz, Alachua County Library District, Gainesville, FL
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Whether portraying the fluid motion of a jump rope in use or the elation of a child receiving a special present, Lewis's (The New King; Fire on the Mountain) light-splashed watercolors are unusually expressive and strikingly realistic; they are the high point of this not altogether convincing book by the late author of Joshua's Masai Mask. Two African American sisters long for new friends so they can jump double Dutch. Then, upon returning from a trip to Tanzania, Uncle Zambezi gives the girls hand-dyed, rainbow-colored jump ropes that, he says, have magical powers: "When you jump, they'll grant your wish." Sure enough, soon after the sisters begin jumping, a moving van pulls up to the house across the street, bringing two new playmates. Embedded within the story are a handful of traditional jump-rope rhymes, some customized to fit the plot or the African American setting (e.g., "Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear turn around" turns into "Nubian Princess turn around"). While the scope is ambitious, the execution is somewhat forced. Ages 4-8.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.