The Matatu

Eric Walters

Apr 2012 · Orca Book Publishers

About this ebook

Kioko had been watching the matatus come and go for as long as he could remember. But today, for his fifth birthday, he climbs aboard one with his grandfather. As the matatu pulls away from the market, the village dogs chase after them. When Kioko asks his grandfather why the dogs always bark and chase after matatus, his grandfather tells him an entertaining tale about a dog, a goat and a sheep. Set in East Africa, The Matatu is a colorful story filled with many unexpected turns and twists along the way.

About the author

Eric Walters began writing in 1993 as a way to entice his grade five students into becoming more interested in reading and writing. At the end of the year, one student suggested that he try to have his story published. Since that first creation, Eric has published nearly seventy novels. His novels have all become best-sellers and have won over eighty awards. Often his stories incorporate themes that reflect his background in education and social work and his commitment to humanitarian and social-justice issues. He is a tireless presenter, speaking to over 70,000 students per year in schools across the country. Eric lives in Mississauga, Ontario, with his wife and three children.

Eva Campbell was born in Ghana to a Ghanaian mother and a Barbadian father and spent her childhood in Barbados and Jamaica. She studied painting at the College of Art in Ghana (BA) and the University of Victoria (MFA). Eva has had numerous art exhibitions in Canada, the United States, Ghana, Barbados and Britain. Currently she is the visual arts teacher at Lester B. Pearson College of the Pacific in Victoria, British Columbia, where she enjoys sharing her knowledge with students from around the world. For further information about Eva, visit www.evacampbell.ca.