The World's international literature critic recommends four children's books for the holidays.

	"Kali and the Rat Snake" by Zai Whitaker Publisher: Kane/Miller Book Publishers (September 2006) Ages: 3-6 ISBN: 1933605103 Kali is proud of the fact that his father is a snake catcher—until he starts school. Then his classmates belittle him for the strange ways of his tribe until a rat snake slithers into their classroom. Kali is the only one who knows what to do with the snake, which earns him their undying gratitude—and friendship. The illustrations are especially fine.
	"What Elephant?" by Genevieve Cote Publisher: Kids Can Press (September 1, 2006) Ages: 3-6 ISBN: 155337875X A charming variation on the theme of the elephant in the room—except that this is a real elephant, and elephants, as this delightful picture book makes clear, should never, ever sit on couches or linger in showers or eat cookies for breakfast!
	"How the Amazon Queen Fought the Prince of Egypt" by Tamara Bower Publisher: Atheneum; 1st edition (March 22, 2005) Ages: 6-12 ISBN: 0689844344 When the Amazon Queen fights the Prince of Egypt to a standstill, change is in the air— marriage and a new political alliance. What delights in this picture book is the running commentary, in the form of hieroglyphs, transliterated and translated, which bring to life the stuff of the ancient world. Winner of a 2006 Children's Africana Book Award.
	"The Mzungu Boy" by Meja Mwangi Publisher: Groundwood Books; 1st edition (February 28, 2006) Ages: 10-15 ISBN: 0888996640 Kariuki, the twelve-year-old son of the cook on a colonial plantation in Kenya, befriends the grandson of the much-feared white planter, and thus begins a journey into the heart of his country, on the eve of revolution. Winner of a 2006 Children's Africana Book Award.