Farah loves mangos

A young South Asian girl learns to appreciate every aspect of her family's mango tree. Farah loves mangos so much that she dreams about living in one. Her grandfather has a mango tree in his yard, and she collects them with him and with their dog, Mali. Much to Farah's dismay, one year, the tree does not fruit. When Farah asks Grandpa why there are no mangos, he is too busy to answer. Farah tries to help by giving the tree milk, water, and manure. When nothing works, Farah announces that without fruit, the tree is useless. Then she realizes that Grandpa was so busy because he was building her a swing. When Farah swings up into the tree's canopy, she finds a world of wonder beyond her imagination and discovers that trees are more than just their fruit. Full of movement, emotion, humor, and details, the cartoonish illustrations depict the monkeys, birds, and other creatures that make their homes in the tree and push the story beyond the words. The plot is a bit disjointed, however. Farah never learns why the tree hasn't flowered, and readers may wonder why Farah now seems entirely uninterested in mangos. Still, the book's playful tone makes it a pleasure to read. (This book was reviewed digitally.) Warm encouragement to value the natural world for more than its tangible offerings. (Picture book. 3-6) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.