Too hungry to wait patiently for the couscous dinner to cook, Nora moans to her Baba that she’s “staaarving!” Taking Nora on his knee, Baba shares the story of the butter man from his own childhood in Morocco. After a season of drought and poor harvest, food became scarce in his home, and Ali’s father left to look for work across the mountains. Soon bread was the only thing left to eat, and the piece his mother gave him each day was smaller and harder than the piece on the day before. In an effort to distract Ali from his hunger, his mother suggested that he go outside and wait for the butter man. If the butter man passed by, Ali could ask for a bit of butter to spread on his bread. The butter man didn’t pass by on that day, or any of the following days, but Ali was occupied by watching the villagers on the road, “forgetting for a while the gnawing feeling in [his] stomach.” Finally, one of the travelers on the road was his own father, returning from across the mountains and carrying vegetables and a piece of meat. Folk-art paintings show Nora and her Baba in their contemporary kitchen at the story’s opening and conclusion, and depict Ali and his parents in their Moroccan village. An author’s note and glossary provide additional information about life in the High Atlas Mountains of Morocco. Highly Commended, 2009 Charlotte Zolotow Award (Ages 5–9)

Nora can hardly wait for a tantalizing pot of slow-cooked couscous to be ready to eat. To help ease the wait, Nora’s father, Baba, recounts a time from his childhood in Morocco, when, due to drought, his father had to sell their dairy cow at a souk. Baba lived along the route to and from market, which “carried the important air of far away places,” where he eagerly awaited his father’s return and sought out the Butter Man to bring a treat. Illustrations of Moroccan landscapes, streetscapes, and dress contribute a narrative element, as well. 2009 Notable Social Studies Trade Books for Young People. bef

It's always worth the wait.

As young Nora waits impatiently for her mother to come home from work and for her father to serve the long-simmering couscous that smells so delicious, her father tells her about his childhood in Morocco. During a famine, when Nora's grandfather had to travel far to find work and bring food for the family, her father learned the valuable life lessons of patience, perseverance, and hope.

Folk-art illustrations capture the Moroccan culture and landscape.

An author's note provides context for Berber culture, language, and traditions.

Listen to a review of The Butter Man on Just One More Book.