Description: From the cover alone, this picture book radiates the vivid scent of Africa. Painted in rich, bold primary colors, the illustrations seem to capture the simple yet abundant lives of African people. The author, who lived in Africa for many years, draws on her own experiences to realistically portray the scenery of a foreign marketplace through the story of a young boy named Jinga. Jinga's hen has laid a big batch of delicious eggs. To sell them, Jinga sets off for the market where his grandmother lives — his very first trip there all by himself. But amid the noisy, bustling crowds, he loses his way. Just then, a boy named Safari calls out to him, and Jinga decides to follow him. Will Jinga make it safely to his grandmother? Author: Noriko Fushihara (伏原 納知子) Recent Work: Jinga's Exciting Trip to the Market About the Author: Born in Kyoto, Japan, she graduated from the Design Department of Kyoto Seika Junior College. In 1989 and 1991, she traveled with her husband and two children to a village near the forests of eastern Zaire (now the Democratic Republic of the Congo), home to gorillas and chimpanzees, where they raised chickens and goats. Her published works include Fly, Albatross, Fly, Hello, Baby Gorilla, and Growing Grass, as well as Folktales of Tanzania, Four Seasons of Flower Sketches, Living in the Gorilla Forest, and A Bird Guide to the Kinki Region.