Babies and toddlers · ages 0–3

Handa's Surprise

The reader knows something Handa does not.

Handa's Surprise — written and illustrated by Eileen Browne (Walker Books). Ages 2–5.

Handa carries a basket of seven fruits to her friend Akeyo, and one by one the animals help themselves from behind her back. She notices none of it.

The joke is entirely visual. A two-year-old spots the goat well before any adult has finished the sentence, and being ahead of the grown-up is most of the pleasure.

The catch — the surprise only lands once, and a child who knows it will shout the ending at you.

It hands a very small child dramatic irony, years before anyone names it.

Get the full guide: The First Shelf →

Cover: Handa's Surprise · written and illustrated by Eileen Browne · Walker Books