Little Toto loves to eat, and when he goes with his grandmother to the marketplace he eats everything in sight, leaving chaos in his wake. Includes a glossary of Cameroonian foods and a recipe for egussi soup. Distributed by Syndetic Solutions, Inc.

As his name would suggest, Toto Gourmand likes to eat. When Big Mami-his grandmother-undertakes a trip to the local market he is delighted to come along, and once there, the chunky toddler wastes no time in getting his first mouthful-and into his first scrape. Tchana and Pami, debut authors and sisters-in-law with firsthand knowledge of this tale's Cameroonian setting, establish a keen sense of place through the unusual foodstuffs of the market as well as the occasional use of local language. While his grandmother's back is turned, the voracious Toto scatters puffpuffs, steals an egg, falls into a barrel of palm oil, gorges on koki and cassava and, back at home, gets into the egussi soup intended for dinner. While Toto has plenty of brio, the premise of a supremely gluttonous toddler may wear thin even before Big Mami runs out of money to reimburse the merchants. Bootman's (Louise's Gift) gleaming, realistic oil paintings have colorful, solid backgrounds and plenty of detail, however, they tend to freeze the characters in stagy poses. In an amusing touch, the words "Oh, No, Toto!" are emblazoned behind the text on several pages. A glossary further identifies the Cameroonian foods, and the back cover provides a recipe for egussi soup. Ages 4-7. Copyright 1997 Cahners Business Information, Inc. From: Reed Elsevier Inc. Copyright Reed Business Information

K-Gr 2--A toddler called Toto Gourmand (the "Hungry One") trails along after his grandmother at a Cameroon market while she shops for the ingredients for egussi soup. Toto climbs and grabs with a two year old's inquisitiveness. Told he may have one puffpuff, a type of doughnut treat, he looks for the largest, which of course is at the bottom of a pile that comes tumbling down. By the end of the shopping trip, he is covered in palm oil and sand. Once home, he eats up all the egussi soup and then falls asleep. The phrase "Oh, No, Toto!" is printed in soft pastels as a background for the text, making the refrain literally echo throughout the tale. Bootman's oil paintings have a dark palette of rich browns to capture the movements of this energetic child from precarious climbing to exhausted contentment. Although the story focuses on a toddler, the vocabulary is more appropriate for an older audience. Elements such as a glossary of Cameroonian foods, suggestions for other books set in the same country, and a recipe for soup make this book a good choice for children studying different countries. Like a spoonful of sugar, this tale is a sweet and easy way to get a taste of another culture.Judith Gloyer, Milwaukee Public Library Copyright 1997 Cahners Business Information, Inc. From: Reed Elsevier Inc. Copyright Reed Business Information

Ages 5-8. When Big Mami takes Toto to market, the little boy--whose name means "the Hungry One"--promises to behave. But his appetite gets the best of him as, one by one, he devours West African dishes such as puffpuffs and koki, usually in hilarious fashion. Bootman, who illustrates the story with richly colored oil paintings, forgoes background details in favor of expressive characters rendered in photo-realistic style. Both pictures and text (including the convincing pidgin English dialect) work together to bring the distinctive Cameroon setting to life. The informative author's note, authors' and illustrator's biographies, glossary of Cameroonian food, and brief bibliography of outstanding picture books set in Cameroon enhance the book's appeal and its usefulness in the classroom. The dust-jacket recipe for the egussi (pumpkin seed) soup that Big Mami prepares and Toto devours at story's end rounds out this imaginatively designed book. (Reviewed March 1, 1997)0590465856Julie Corsaro From: Syndetics Solutions, Inc. Distributed by Syndetic Solutions, Inc.