My Day with the Panye

A young girl in Haiti is eager to learn how to carry a basket to market in an exuberant picture book with universal appeal.

“To carry the panye, we move gracefully, even under the weight of the sun and the moon.”

In the hills above Port-au-Prince, a young girl named Fallon wants more than anything to carry a large woven basket to the market, just like her Manman. As she watches her mother wrap her hair in a mouchwa, Fallon tries to twist her own braids into a scarf and balance the empty panye atop her head, but realizes it’s much harder than she thought. BOOM! Is she ready after all? Lyrical and inspiring, with vibrant illustrations highlighting the beauty of Haiti, My Day with the Panye is a story of family legacy, cultural tradition, and hope for the future. Readers who are curious about the art of carrying a panye will find more about this ancient and global practice in an author’s note at the end.

Tami Charles is the author of the critically acclaimed Freedom Soup, illustrated by Jacqueline Alcántara, as well as numerous other picture books and novels for children and young adults, including All Because You Matter, illustrated by Bryan Collier. She lives in New Jersey with her husband and son.

Sara Palacios has illustrated numerous picture books, including Between Us and Abuela: A Family Story from the Border by Mitali Perkins, and many others. She divides her time between San Francisco and Mexico City.