From School Library Journal
Grade 2–4—Bella, introduced in Bella Balistica and the African Safari (Milet, 2007), is once again united with her animal twin, the Quetzal bird, through the magic in a pendant once owned by her Guatemalan birth mother. The bird takes her to Ghana, where she helps some children with the cacao harvest and learns how they prepare the seeds used to make chocolate. While the work is difficult, the children's family receives Fair Trade money that pays living and school expenses. When Bella returns to London to enjoy her birthday celebration, complete with chocolate cake, she resolves to send chocolate to the Ghanaian children, who have never experienced its taste. Boldly outlined, the pictures depict Ghanaians, most in Western clothing, hard at work cheerfully harvesting fancifully colored cacao pods. Thatched huts; two women, one carrying a basket on her head and the other a baby on her back; and lush vegetation give readers a sense of life in a remote West African village. Although this story, sprinkled with British expressions, is a rather heavy-handed endorsement for Fair Trade products, it does offer some facts about chocolate and cacao harvesting.—Marianne Saccardi, formerly at Norwalk Community College, CT
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Review
"Boldly outlined, the pictures give readers a sense of life in a remote West African village and offers facts about chocolate and cacao harvesting." ―School Library Journal
"Children will enjoy biting into this delicious story, which is best enjoyed with a bite of chocolate!" —Children's Literature
"The illustrations bring the characters to life in a bright cartoon-like style. Full of information about how chocolate is produced." —Times Educational Supplement
"Positive messages about cross-cultural friendship, working together, and the benefits of fair trade." —Trans Fair USA newsletter
"This story takes readers from Bella's home in London to Ghana, West Africa." ―Edmonton's Child
"A lively, fast-paced read." —The Fair Trade Beat
"This book is not only multicultural, it also teaches children about fair trade and responsible shopping." ―Ultraviolet Underground blog
"Travel with Bella to West Africa as she discovers where chocolate comes from." —Parents Express
About the Author
Adam Guillain is the author of the Bella Balistica series and an educational consultant. He is a former writer-in-residence at the Roald Dahl Museum and Story Centre. Elke Steiner is a comic book artist and the illustrator of Bella's Brazilian Football.
