Handa's Surprise

Handa's Surprise tells the charming story of Handa, who fills her basket with seven delicious fruits to take to her friend, Akeyo. However, as she walks with the basket balanced on her head, various creatures sneakily take her fruits. A monkey swipes the banana, an ostrich snatches the guava, a zebra takes the orange, an elephant plucks the mango, a giraffe grabs the pineapple, an antelope claims the avocado, and a parrot picks the passion fruit.

Handa continues her journey, blissfully unaware that her basket is now empty, as she wonders which fruit her friend will like best. As luck would have it, a goat charges into a tangerine tree behind her, filling the basket with tangerines. When Handa reaches Akeyo, she greets her with, "I've brought you a surprise." It's Handa who is in for a surprise when the basket's contents are revealed. Akeyo, on the other hand, is thrilled, as tangerines are her favourite fruit!

Author Eileen Browne has also penned other delightful works including Through My Window, which was shortlisted for the Smarties Book Prize in 1986, as well as No Problem, Tick Tock, and Where's my Bus?.