Bella's Chocolate Surprise

By Adam Guillain, Illustrated by Elke Steiner

Bella Balistica

JUVENILE FICTION

32 Pages, 9 1/2 x 9 1/2

Formats: Paperback Picture Book

Paperback Picture Book, $8.95 (US $8.95) (CA $9.95)

Publication Date: May 2008

ISBN 9781840595055

Rights: WOR

Milet Publishing (May 2008)

Price:	$8.95

Overview

Lessons about fair trade are at the center of this adventure that begins on Bella's birthday. Her mother has baked a chocolate cake and, delicious though it is, Bella begins to wonder where chocolate comes from. With the help of her friend the Quetzal bird, Bella harnesses the powers of her mystical pendant and flies to Ghana in West Africa, where she befriends a group of children working in the cacao fields. She soon learns that they are part of a collective that guarantees a fair income to workers and pays for the children to go to school. Delighting in her new cross-cultural friendships, Bella starts to plan how to get people from home involved in supporting fair-trade practices around the world.

Reviews

"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

Author Biography

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.

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