The story is delightful; the presentation of Cameroonian society is authentic and warm; the illustrations are beautiful. Highly recommended for parents who'd like their children to have a "taste" of Cameroon

My cousin has 2 children, ages 2 and 4, a girl and a boy. Last year around Christmas time I saw this in the bookstore and had to get it. I bought 2. One to give them for Christmas and one for myself just because I love the pictures so much. At that moment in the store I didn't have time to read it but after seeing the illustrations I couldn't put it down. The pictures in this book are incredible. I have always been somewhat bothered that this particular picture was chosen for the cover. It's the single worst picture in (or on) the book so please do not base your opinion on the cover illustration. They most certainly did not make kids books like this when I was a kid!

If memory serves, I have never reviewed a book on this site before, so this is as good a place to start as any.

I myself don't have any kids, but I am disturbed by the fact that it is very rare to ever see a white child playing with, say, a black doll. Obviously this is not the fault of the child.

I think that the sooner a child is exposed to the beautiful diversity (yet similarity) of humanity, the better it is for them and their world. I would hope that my fellow white people have had enough of the superficial and artificial world of Barbie, and are ready to open their eyes to the fact that beauty, art, love, expression, emotion, pain, and happiness occur in all shades, hues, shapes, and sizes.

Beyond this being a fun, meaningful story about a smart girl, the illustrations really convey a feel and a location. The clothing and faces and hairstyles in these pictures are stunning. Sure to grasp and ignite the imagination of children, and many adults also.

When the pages of this book start turning, you are engulfed in a world of beauty and color. Buy this book so you can entertain your children in a healthy way while also instilling in them the fact that just because not everyone looks alike doesn't mean we are all somehow "different" (in the negative sense).

Cultural diversity is, for me, humanity's greatest gift to all of us. Explore it, nurture it, love it! Also, protect it and encourage its appreciation in those around you. I wish this were a whole series of books with a different character and story for each. If this illustrator worked with other authors so as to give this sort of treatment to stories, locations, and peoples of India, China, Vietnam, Chile, Ethiopia, etc... it'd be a great "world primer" for children.

Easily one of the best kids books I've ever been around.

When I found out I was going to Cameroon I did a search on Amazon.com for "Cameroon". This was by far the most helpful hit I received. After reading the book I went to northern Cameroon in March 2000 on a humanitarian mission with the Air Force. It was just coincidence that I went to the same general area as the book (Garoua & Maroua). Reading this book gave me a greater understanding of the people and the culture. Everything in this book rang true, the poverty, the close families, the emphisis on class, the small town doctors, and the basic generosity of the people. Her honest narrative and personal approch to her subject is unmatched. I felt her friendship and frustration. Her friends became my friends and it left me wishing for an update on how they are today. This is a book about two years of a persons life. Cameroon and the Peace Corps are just the framework. Her writing was so vivid I now would read anything by her no matter what the subject. If you enjoy people and their complexities..... read this book.

It's hard to lick a hot book on a good Summer day, but "Mango Elephants in the Sun" comes close. Pouring her heart and soul into Sub-Sahara Africa village life, Susana dreamed of things Americans take for granted,e.g.,Chunky Monkey, hot and cold running water, phone service nearer than the next village, and air conditioning when the temperature rose above 112 degrees. The next best thing was homemade ice cream, although it required an overnight trip to obtain ingredients--just past the gendarmes, with goats and chickens in a crowded dumptruck/bush taxi to the "White Man's Store" in-country. There a Peace Corps Volunteer spent half a month's living allowance to share a little joy. Then hurried on home to where the heart is to make the only ice cream the children of her village ever tasted. PCVs know this "can-do" attitude intimately, while parents/friends/Returned Peace Corps Volunteers can read Herrera's 60 stories and poems--gladly! She wonders, "When I leave Africa, will the children remember me?" Yeah, baby! And so will we, when we hear Windchanting, lizard speaks, and the temperature rises on a hot Summer day. Maybe then, if we're lucky, for among us are some who are fortunate indeed to have tasted "Mango Elephants in the Sun." I never knew they made ice cream or books this good! As for you, well, you've just had a taste.

As a Peace Corps volunteer just three years home, I haven't been inspired to read other volunteers' experiences because of the intensity of my own. However, one of my professors loaned this book to me thinking that since Susana was in the Peace Corps in Africa as I was, I would be interested in reading it. It turns out that I was. She has a beautiful way of expressing what happens to lots of volunteers; the fear, the confusion, the coming to terms with oneself and one's surroundings, the eventual pride in oneself for sticking it out in the most difficult of situations. I suggest that former volunteers pick this one up. If you haven't already come to terms with your experience, this book will put you on the road.

This is a sad but quite interesting story of four generations of a Jewish Sephardic family that once lived in Egypt and then became dispersed around the world from Israel to Africa to America. The story is full of unfulfilled potential and human tragedies that feel very close and real. There are no particular heros, just normal human beings with all their struggles, dreams, and weaknesses.

The story is told in the voice of an Israeli woman who records her reactions to old photographs as stories of the history of her grand parents and great grand parents, uncles, aunts, and cousins. The story is sprinkled with Egyptian Arabic expressions which made me feel very much at home. It reflects the diversity of the Egyptian Jewish community: an uncle who became a Zionist and moved to a Kibbutz, a father who couldn't live in Israel and moved to the US, a grandmother who reminds me very much of my own Egyptian grandmother. It just goes to show that people are the same regardless of their differences.

The book is very well written. I enjoyed it very much. It's not the easiest book to read because there is no particular plot. It's like modern art. Several photographs were missing in the version I read. Perhaps it is intentional ! It sure made me wish that I could see them. I really enjoyed it. I particularly recommend it for those who lived in Egypt or Israel.

Is this really her first novel? Matalon is a fine writer. The photographs are not just a device, they're a metaphor, but not a heavy-handed one. This isn't the easiest novel to read, which is a relief after some other recent fiction, even some good stuff. It feels good to have to work at reading sometimes, and it helps me to understand what the deconstructionists are talking about when they say the reader is part of the process. Sometimes you hear people say that they felt like they knew the characters. I don't feel that way about this Levantine family, and that's not a criticism -- I feel like I got as close to them as they would actually have let me (an Ashkenazi) if I had met them -- which isn't very close. I got an oblique look -- like looking at an old photograph, come to think of it. I look forward to more of Matalon's work.

This is a nicely illustrated and well-written retelling of a Cameroonian folktale. Young children will enjoy it and learn a little of Cameroon storytelling in the process. It is a nice window on the whole genre of west African stories about Tortoise, the eternal trickster. The ending may seem a little unusual to Americans and Europeans, but that is part of its charm and educational value. Highly recommended to anyone who wants their children to appreciate the spirit of west African stories.

A lengthy account of the Peace Corps culture in Cameroon. Virtually ignoring the Cameroonian people and culture, the author concentrates on his relationships with other PC volunteers through detailing conversations with other volunteers and his hopes and dreams for other volunteers(none of this being especially funny or interesting). Though some of the information would be useful to potential PCV, the book lacks the true emotional depth of Mango Elephants in the Sun.

Jim captures the essence of what it is like to be a Peace Corps volunteer in Cameroon, with all of the warmth and joy he found there. His is an American perspective of his life, relationships, and encounters while serving the people of Cameroon. Who wouldn't want to join the Peace Corps and develop their own experience after reading his story.

Wow, what a ride! Instead of following the usual pattern of Peace Corps authors (How life in my village changed my life) the author takes us on a journey of his Peace Corps service sharing his experiences but not ignoring his human imperfections along the way. The story is a very honest and very spiritual one related with humor and candidness. It is easy to tell a story about a place, its people and culture but not easy to make you feel like you are there. The author really accomplishes this. I just didn't want it to end!

Very Informative, for a 10 year old. I got alot for a project I had to do though.

An expensive repackaging of readily available information from sources such as the IMF, the CIA Country Reports, or the Economist. You could buy this book, or you could learn most of what it contains by an hour and a half of web surfing. Not very useful if you have an elementary familiarity with the country.