WHERE’S JAMELA?

Bright-eyed, expressive faces and slightly exotic locales (to US audiences, anyway) give this South African moving-day-blues tale an extra lift. When Mama receives news of a new job and a new, larger house to go with it, she dances about the kitchen. Young Jamela, however, finds the prospect of leaving her familiar old house, familiar neighbors, and the star that shines through her bedroom window considerably less appealing—so much so that, to escape all the commotion of packing up, she climbs into a large box, and falls asleep. Panic ensues when the movers are ready to leave, and Jamela is nowhere to be found. When she does pop up at last, she and her mother get an exuberant sendoff from their friends, and that night, Jamela finds the same star in her new bedroom’s window. Like Jamela’s previous outings, this will captivate young readers with its engaging protagonist and warm portrayals of close family and community ties. (Picture book. 6-8)