One quick tap, and bananas appear at your door the next morning like magic. Simple, right? Here’s a peek inside that seemingly effortless convenience.
Award-winning author and illustrator Jung Jinho traces the incredible journey of one banana, from phone screen to front door. Bustling trucks, lively market vendors, and dedicated night-time workers are part of the surprising connections that bring the things we need right to us.
A captivating look at the many hands and countless stories behind our daily deliveries.
Perfect for:
- Teacher Librarians: Seeking engaging and accessible ways to introduce global systems and supply chains to young readers.
- Parents & Carers: Looking for a wonderful tool to discuss the implications of modern convenience and how our choices impact the world around us with young children.
- Contemporary Illustration Lovers: Discovering a stunning example of cutting-edge contemporary Korean illustration from a renowned artist.
Banana Express is a fun, eye-opening adventure that shows us just how connected we all are, and why each of us truly matters.---from the publisher
40 pages 978-1964992280 Ages 4-8
Keywords: banana, journey, how things work, connections, global supply chain, community, commerce, helping others, trucks, Social Studies Curriculum, 4 year old, 5 year old, 6 year old, 7 year old, 8 year old
Editor's note: This would be a great story to read along with If This Were The World. Both give our children a new perspective on the global community and our planet.
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I've seen books before that trace the journey of goods around the world to our stores and doorsteps. This one is a little different. Instead of following huge ships, trains, trucks- all the forms of transportation that bring us our food and clothes and everything else, this book introduces us to the human beings- the people doing the jobs - who are part of the chain around the world that works together to get us what we need... or what we want.
This journey begins with a tap on a phone by a young girl who decides she needs a banana for her breakfast tomorrow. Bing! And it begins ... (Lion King reference from Timon).
If you think about it, that banana will most likely find itself on a truck heading in our direction. But, wait, wait, what does a truck need? Yes, the truck driver is going to stop for gas, right? Fill 'er up. That truck probably starts early in the morning so there has to be a gas station that opens early - and who will be working there? What did they need before they headed off to work? Breakfast? (I wonder who grew the food they ate for their breakfast?) I wonder who made the truck? I wonder who made the tires that hold the truck on the road?
That's what this story is about. It opens our eyes to all the people in all the places who work together so we can eat, do our own jobs, have something to wear, have a subway to ride, and on and on. If you think about it, really think about, we are connected to so many people all over the world. They help us. We help them. Wow! That's the kind of world I want to live in - and I do!
Recommended by: Barb Langridge, abookandahug.com
