Starred Review for Kirkus Reviews

Twelve-year-old Ato has longed to visit the island of Nnoma, a highly protected bird sanctuary that his late father helped build, in this latest title by award-winning Ghanaian author Baitie.If he and his friends Dzifa and Leslie put together a successful environmental project, they could earn one of the rare opportunities to see Nnoma, and they embark on growing vegetables using organic pesticides. Ato has other things on his mind too: His mother recently announced that he would be spending weekends with Nana, his paternal grandmother. This was unexpected since tensions developed between the two women after his father's death and he hasn't gone to her house in years. Ato is also aware of financial problems at home. The one thing that seems to lift his mother's spirits are conversations with the Prophet, a spiritual figure with growing influence in their community. Despite feeling close to Nana, who visits on special occasions, Ato is uneasy because of gossip and warnings about her. However, his grandmother's stories gradually answer questions Ato has about his father and make him determined to uncover secrets in his community. This richly textured contemporary story set in Ghana highlights timely issues around the environment and exploitation of the poor. The well-developed sense of place and natural dialogue create an immersive reading experience, and Ato and his friends, especially fearless Dzifa, are engaging as they discover the courage to push for truth.A powerful coming-of-age story of self-discovery and overcoming fear. (Fiction. 9-12)

ALA Booklist (Thu Jul 01 00:00:00 CDT 2021)

Winning the contest that will gain him entry to Nnoma, the bird-sanctuary island, means the world to Ato. He and his friends, Dzifa and Leslie, plan to win by finding a way to grow vegetables without using chemical pesticides. As if this was not enough of a challenge, other impediments surround this spunky trio: strict mothers, Leslie's germaphobia, and the gradually increasing hold of Prophet Yakayaka over the townspeople. Like Ato, readers might find their heads spinning as things start to go wrong all around and adults prove unreliable, leaving the children to their own devices. But readers who stick with it will find there's something for everyone in this fast-paced novel: adventure, friendship, reconciliation of loss, charlatan corruption, ecological issues, power, fear, faith, imagination, and more. Descriptions of local Ghanaian street food will delight those in the know and send the rest looking up recipes for suya, fried plantain, and waakye. All conundrums are satisfactorily resolved, making this a middle-grade must-read.

Kirkus Reviews (Fri Oct 04 00:00:00 CDT 2024)

Twelve-year-old Ato has longed to visit the island of Nnoma, a highly protected bird sanctuary that his late father helped build, in this latest title by award-winning Ghanaian author Baitie.If he and his friends Dzifa and Leslie put together a successful environmental project, they could earn one of the rare opportunities to see Nnoma, and they embark on growing vegetables using organic pesticides. Ato has other things on his mind too: His mother recently announced that he would be spending weekends with Nana, his paternal grandmother. This was unexpected since tensions developed between the two women after his father's death and he hasn't gone to her house in years. Ato is also aware of financial problems at home. The one thing that seems to lift his mother's spirits are conversations with the Prophet, a spiritual figure with growing influence in their community. Despite feeling close to Nana, who visits on special occasions, Ato is uneasy because of gossip and warnings about her. However, his grandmother's stories gradually answer questions Ato has about his father and make him determined to uncover secrets in his community. This richly textured contemporary story set in Ghana highlights timely issues around the environment and exploitation of the poor. The well-developed sense of place and natural dialogue create an immersive reading experience, and Ato and his friends, especially fearless Dzifa, are engaging as they discover the courage to push for truth.A powerful coming-of-age story of self-discovery and overcoming fear. (Fiction. 9-12)