A Taste of Honey: Kamala outsmarts the Seven Thieves by Rebecca Sheir, illustrated by Chaaya Prabhat

While I'm still on a perpetual hunt for picture books that are developmentally appropriate and work well in storytime for the toddler and younger preschool ages, I've been delighted to be able to expand a little in my picture book purchases in 2022 thanks to many local teachers who are participating in the Classroom Book a Day challenge. I'm not clear if this is part of the new curriculum our school adopted or something some of the teachers are doing on their own, but either way it's awesome! I now have an audience of 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders for picture books and can purchase some of the longer and more complex titles that don't work well in storytime. I've been mainly going for narrative nonfiction and picture book biographies, but I won't turn down a good folktale when it comes my way.

This book is part of a series based on a podcast that retells folktales from around the world, Circle Round. The story itself is delightful and beautifully retold to hold an audience of all ages, including preschoolers. Kamala, who supports her aging father and herself by producing honey, outsmarts a lazy king, band of thieves, and becomes prosperous in the end, learning that she can use her intelligence and rely on herself. Cheerful illustrations show brightly colored saris, elephants, jungles and villages. Women are shown in a variety of roles, including as part of the thieves' band and running their own homes and businesses.

The story is introduced with a brief explanation of its cultural origin and a definition of folktale and ends with a number of extension activities and a note from the author of how she chose to retell the story. There is also a link to listen to the episode of the podcast with this story.

Verdict: It's been a long time since I've seen substantive folktales available and this new series looks like a winner to me; it should work in storytimes for preschoolers, if they're a fairly calm group, and will definitely work with elementary school audiences. Recommended.

ISBN: 9781635864922; Published 2022 by Storey; Borrowed from another library in my consortium