ONCE UPON A TIME
by Niki Daly & illustrated by Niki Daly
Sarie, a South African first grader, loves school but hates to read out loud to the class. She always stumbles, and Charmaine and Carmen laugh at her. Her friend Emile is cute and offers encouraging smiles, but Sarie still has no self-confidence. She spends her Sundays with Auntie Anna pretending to drive a rusted-out car. One Sunday, bored of “driving,” Sarie finds an old picture book of Cinderella. She and Auntie Anna read it together. Sarie takes the book to school, envisions the words in her head, but still stumbles in reading. Auntie Anna makes reading practice more fun by dressing Sarie up like Cinderella, and Sarie improves and proves herself in front of the class and the principal. She invites Emile over for a Sunday “drive,” and together they enjoy the near magic of the South African desert. Daly (Old Bob’s Brown Bear, 2002, etc.) once again captures a moment in a South African childhood and makes it universal with a simple story and beautiful watercolor illustrations. Sarie’s confusion and subsequent joy are evident in her face as she and the reader discover the once-upon-a-time magic that reading offers together. This is an excellent choice for one-on-one sharing or lap story times. (Picture book. 4-7)