A celebration of bicycles, cooperation, and the resourcefulness of
children everywhere
In a Tanzanian village school, Anna struggles to keep up. Her walk home
takes so long that when she arrives, it is too dark to do her homework.
Working through the lunch hour instead, she doesn't see the truck from
the bicycle library pull into the schoolyard. By the time she gets out
there, the bikes are all gone. Anna hides her disappointment, happy to
help her friends learn to balance and steer. She doesn't know a
compassionate friend will offer her a clever solution--and the chance to
raise her own cloud of dust.
Brought to life by Brian Deines' vivid oil paintings, Alma
Fullerton's simple, expressive prose captures the joy of feeling the
wind on your face for the first time. Inspired by organizations like The
Village Bicycle Project that have opened bicycle libraries all across
Africa, In a Cloud of Dust is an uplifting example of how a simple
opportunity can make a dramatic change in a child's life.
"Soaked in warm golds and oranges, Deines's oil paintings glow with a
sense of promise as the children race around the schoolyard on their
bikes. Fullerton says quite a bit with few words in her verselike prose,
and a detailed author's note discusses the vital role bicycles play in
communities across Africa and supplies information about bicycle
donation organizations."--Publishers Weekly
