Fatou Fetch the Water: (Book & Audio CD) Age 3+
FATOU. FETCH THE WATER
The water bucket is empty! So, follow in the footsteps of forgetful Fatou, as she fetches a fresh supply for the family supper. But will Fatou return from her journey through the village with just water, or with much more than she expected? A charming tale of the joys of giving and receiving.
The story is set in the smallest country in Africa, The Gambia. It contains a section of facts about the cultures and traditions of this colourful nation, so you can learn as well as enjoy! We’ll also give a donation to our Project Gambia charity for every book sold, so you won’t just be getting a great story, you’ll also be helping a great cause.
Review
"I love this book! This is the story of Fatou, a girl from the Gambia. It follows her as she travels around her village on the way to fetch water for her family dinner. However, she is interrupted many times by villagers giving her things to take back to her mother in return for clothes that her mother has made. Fatou is soon loaded with onions, bread, bitter tomatoes and eggplants to mention just a few! The problem is that she forgets the water!
The story is charming and warm, having at its heart lessons about giving and receiving. It finishes on a high note of humour when after a wonderful feast using ingredients from the unexpected collection, the family need yet more water and wonder who to send to fetch it this time.
This book is a wonderful journey with amazing illustrations. The pictures are alive with colour and a strong sense of life in a Gambian village. It is entertaining and vividly educational without effort. I found myself curious about the strange vegetables and the currency named Dalasis.
Brilliantly, at the end of the book is a two page spread explaining in depth about life in the Gambia. It is truly inspirational.
The book would be ideal to share with a group of children, to build a discussion about how people live in other cultures. Further it would be a useful tool for topic work, yet it retains a strong story which stands alone well too.
I would certainly recommend this book as a present for any youngster but for school work it is a rich source of information.
Each book sold gives a donation to Project Gambia.
Touchingly 'Fatou Fetch The Water' is dedicated to the memory of a Gambian lady named Fatou. This gave it an extra resonance for me."
- Armadillo magazine