Kukamba is a small girl in a Zimbabwe village who loves spending time with her grandmother, Gugu, an artist who forms huge animals and birds from clay. The little girl makes her own small animals, too, and is thrilled when her grandmother tells her she has the talent to be a fine artist someday. But she is crushed when the rains come and destroy her grandmother’s extraordinary creations. Gugu helps her understand what happened as part of nature’s cycle of constant renewal in a colorfully written, finely paced story set against full-page watercolor illustrations. Author/illustrator Catherine Stock explains in a note that the character of Gugu is based on her friend Mrs. Khosa, an artist and storyteller in Zimbabwe. A photograph of Mrs. Khosa on the inside jacket also features one of her amazing life-size clay animals. Highly Commended, 2002 Charlotte Zolotow Award (Ages 5–8)

Kukamba loves to visit her grandmother, Gugu. Though the village where Gugu lives is dry and dusty, her house is big and sprawling and unlike any other. The courtyard and walls are decorated with beautiful paintings and clay animals, all made by Gugu herself. Best of all, when Kukamba visits, she gets to help shape and paint some of the wonderful zebras, elephants, and birds that Gugu is always adding to the house. When the heavy rains come and her grandmother's showpieces are destroyed, Kukamba is crushed. But the Gugu helps her see that an ending can also be a beginning, and art is not the only beauty the world has to offer. Set in the grassy plains of Zimbabwe and gracefully illustrated in watercolors, GUGU'S HOUSE is a unique tribute to the spirit of creativity and the immutable cycles of nature.