ROOM FOR EVERYONE

Posted on 01/16/2022

Caitlyn Dlouhy/Atheneum Books | 978-1534431393

 

“Hop in,” someone shouted. “Get out of the sun!

There’s plenty of room for EVERYONE!”

 

Inspired by the author, Naaz Khan‘s  “… own fantastically fun… ride from Stone Town to Nungwi Beach, in Zanzibar,” ROOM FOR EVERYONE is a rollicking, rhyming, cumulative counting story.

When Musa first boards the daladala, a shared minibus, he has no idea how many others will soon be joining him and his sister Dada on the bumpy ride to the shore.

Early on, the daladala driver passes an old man with a bike that has no seat. The driver honks, pulls to the side, and asks:

“Dear brother, do you need a ride?
It’s hotter than peppers out there in the sun!
Come in, there’s room for everyone!”

But how, Musa wonders, can there possibly be enough room?

“Don’t worry, Musa, there’s space galore!
If you move just a bit we can make room for more.”

There are wiggles and giggles and lots of fun, and plenty of room for everyone.

CLICK TO ENLARGE © illustration by Mercè López

Past baghala boats and fruit vendors, a farmer with pails of milk, and mamas with fish, each stop brings the question: Will there be enough room?

One way or another, the passengers manage to squeeze together, finding just enough space so that no one is left behind.

CLICK TO ENLARGE © illustration by Mercè López

This energetic tale, rendered in acrylic, ink, graphite, and digital media, by Mercè López makes  a wonderfully rich and satisfying read-aloud with a message we can all embrace, summed up beautifully in the author’s dedication:

“For travelers everywhere… may you always find comfort, joy,
and welcoming strangers on your journey.”