CCBC (Cooperative Children's Book Center Choices, 1996)
Sisters Erica and April want to jump Double Dutch but they can't get any of their friends to join them and their little sister Carmen is too small to twirl the ropes. When Uncle Zambezi returns from Tanzania, he brings them some magic moonberry ropes, claiming they will grant them a wish. Of course, the girls wish for a third jumper and, of course, their wish comes true when a new family moves in next door. But are the ropes really magic? Dakari Hru's gentle, humorous tale of the endless days of summer and the seriousness of child's play is aptly illustrated with E.B. Lewis's sun-dappled watercolor paintings. Jump in! CCBC categories: Picture Books. 1996, Dial, 32 pages, $14.89. Ages 4-7.

Kirkus (Kirkus Reviews, 1996)
An engaging story about two girls whose passion for jumping rope is enriched by the gift their uncle brings them from East Africa. Sisters April and Erica, who love to jump Double Dutch, are in desperate need of friends to join them in their games. Enter Uncle Zambezi, fresh from Tanzania, his hair in Nubian locks that hang around his large, laughing eyes. He brings them magical jump ropes made of sisal and dyed by his friend Layla, telling April and Erica that any wish they make while jumping with the ropes will come true. The girls wish for more jumping partners and up pulls a moving van, with two new friends to join their games. The lively text is punctuated by real jump rope rhymes; Hru (Joshua's Masai Mask, 1993) also provides information on how the jump ropes were made and dyed. Lewis's expressive watercolors bring to life the languid summer days of childhood and the warm embrace of a neighborhood. 1996, Dial, $14.99; PLB $14.89. Starred Review. © 1996 Kirkus Reviews/VNU eMedia, Inc. All rights reserved.

Deborah Stevenson (The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, February 1996 (Vol. 49, No. 6))
April and Erica are jump-ropers extraordinaire, but they can't find that crucial third person to jump Double-Dutch with: tying the ropes to the fence fails, and their youngest sister Carmen is just too little to do it right. When their Uncle Zambezi turns up and gives them a set of rainbow-colored, wish-granting "magic moonberry" jump ropes, the sisters wish for a jump-rope playmate and are thrilled when Takara Brown, their age and also an aficionado of the sport, moves in next door. The story here is pretty slight, and the brief tale of the magic moonberry jump ropes seems calculated to bring in a discussion of Africa rather than to move the plot along. This is one of the more evocative books, however, of summertime hanging-out-in-the-neighborhood pleasures and free-time-has-lost-its-thrill blues, and the casual interplay of the kids is recognizably authentic. The watercolor illustrations also excel at depicting the everyday milieu, with hot sidewalks draped in purple shadows contrasting with cool interiors of white walls and hardwood floors; the neighborhood, with its gardening neighbors, leafy trees, and bouncy jump-ropers is a pleasant place to browse through as well as to live (although one wonders where people keep their cars). A note about rope and dye origins as well as the sources of the jump-rope rhymes within is included. Ad--Additional book of acceptable quality for collections needing more material in the area. (c) Copyright 1996, The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois. 1996, Dial, 32p, $14.89 and $14.99. Ages 6-9 yrs.

Horn Book (The Horn Book Guide, 1996)
Uncle Zambezi returns from a trip to East Africa with gifts for his two nieces. He claims that the brightly dyed jump ropes will grant wishes, and sure enough, the two sisters' wish for a jump-rope partner comes true. Realistic watercolors showing the girls' sun-dappled street outshine the story, which awkwardly conveys facts about Africa. An author's note and a glossary/pronunciation guide are included. Category: Fiction. 1996, Dial, 32pp.. Ages 5 to 9. Rating: 4: Recommended, with minor flaws.