The Butter Man    by Elizabeth Alalou & Julie Klear Essakalli Order:  USA  Can Charlesbridge, 2008 (2008) Hardcover Read an Excerpt     Reviewed by Hilary Williamson On a Saturday evening, a hungry girl watches her baba (father) make a big pot of couscous for the family dinner (her mother is still at work) in a special pot that he brought from Morocco. To distract Nora while waiting, baba tells her a story. Baba tells of a time of drought and hunger in his home in the High Atlas Mountains of Morocco - after the cow is sold and his father leaves in search of work, there is no more butter. Hungry for it, he asks his mother if there is even just a little - and she suggests he take his bread and wait outside for the butter man. So baba does. And while he observes all the passersby and a 'big red truck' go through the busy village, he eats his bread without thinking of butter. He does this every day, and every day returns empty handed - 'No more bread. No butter man.' But one day, when baba only has a very small piece of bread to eat, someone special does show up - can you guess who he is? An Author's Note tells readers about the villagers who live in the High Atlas Mountains, and a Glossary explains Berber words that are used in the text. The Butter Man is a sweet and informative story that introduces kids to another culture, and might make them appreciate their next meal - and the butter on the table - just a little more than usual. Note: Opinions expressed in reviews and articles on this site are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of BookLoons. Find more Kids books on our Shelves or in our book Reviews