Mama Cécile and her small daughter Yoyo make their living by selling bowls of their delicious homemade bitterleaf stew every day at the local market. When Yoyo is certain she is ready to make the stew on her own, she takes a few shortcuts. Mama Cécile declares the results only good for the goats. But proud Yoyo is determined to sell her stew, so she takes it along to market. She and Mama Cécile have asked Brother Coin to bless their market bowl, binding them to accept any fair price they are offered. When Yoyo is offered much less than she hoped for her own bowl of stew, she refuses to sell it, angering Brother Coin. It’s up to Yoyo to use her wits and her culinary skill—without shortcuts this time—to appease Brother Coin and regain the blessing for their market bowl. This clever, original story draws on the cultures and customs of Cameroon, and a recipe for bitterleaf stew, Cameroon’s national dish, is included at the back of the book. Although the story is timeless, details in the illustrations place it in a contemporary Cameroonian village. (Ages 4-7)

Yoyo has listened to Mama C‚cile?s song about how to make ndol‚ (bitterleaf stew) her entire life?long enough to know how to make it herself, now that she is finally old enough. But slicing the bitterleaf, grinding the pumpkin, measuring out the shrimp?it just takes too long. Yoyo is confident that her variation on the stew will be good enough. As Mama C‚cile and Yoyo set off to market, Mama reminds Yoyo what will happen if she refuses a fair price for the stew?Brother Coin, the Great Spirit of the Market, will put a curse on their market bowl. When Yoyo refuses to heed Mama?s advice, she is faced with the task of trying to regain a blessing from the god himself. An original folktale set in modern-day Cameroon, THE MARKET BOWL teaches readers a lesson about patience, humility, and the value of a fair price. Back matter includes further information about Cameroon and its people and traditions as well as a recipe for ndol‚?Cameroon?s national food dish.