Pesky Mosquitos!

Zzzng! Zzzng! Zzzng! a Yoruba Tale retold by Phyllis Gershator. Illus. by Theresa Smith, 1998.


This is one of my favorite African folktales so far. It is an expansion of a traditional tale, “The Mosquito and the Ear.” In the early days when things came together and made the world, mosquito was looking for someone to marry. She was scorned by several of her love interests, and set about revenging herself on them. Her children carried on the tradition, with undesirable results for people. But if we’re going to get bit, then it may as well be for a good reason. :) Mosquito’s little songs of courtship and rage make for a fun read aloud.

Smith’s mosquito is cute and likeable. Even with her stinger, she looks somewhat like a bird with a long bill, striped legs, and wings not unlike a dragonfly. When she is rejected, she cries pitiful streams of tears.Smith’s illustrations are lively and filled with movement.

Why Mosquitos Buzz in People’s Ears by Verna Aardema. Illus. by Leo and Diane Dillon, 1975.

This is one of the first illustrated African folktales that I heard of. I’ve known of it for years, but I’d never read it until now. In this tale with cumulative elements, chatty mosquito annoys an iguana with a silly statement about yams. The iguana puts sticks in his ears rather than listen to her nonsense. This leads a python to believe he is being snubbed when iguana ignores the snake’s good morning greeting. Unfortunately, this brings about a disastrous chain reaction involving the other animals, and leads to mosquito’s permanent unpopularity.

The Dillion’s won the Caldecott award for this title and also Ashanti to Zulu: African Traditions (Picture Puffin Books) by Margaret Musgrove. I am a big fan of their art and I think that they just get more and more spectacular with time. If you are unfamiliar with them take a look at Pish, Posh, Said Hieronymus Bosch or The Sorcerer's Apprentice by Nancy Willard, or The Secret River by Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings. The pictures for this book use watercolors applied with airbrush, pastels and india ink. Kids will laugh at the ridiculous iguana with the plugged ears, grieve with the brokenhearted mother owl and enjoy looking at the increasingly angry and toothy animals as they get to the heart of the problem.

The Honey Hunters

Honey Hunters by Francesca Martin, 1992.


Martin retells this traditional African tale that explains why various animals came to be enemies. All the beasts love honey. So does the boy. Luckily, they have the little honey guide to lead them to the proper tree. “Che, che! Cheka, cheka, che!” he says. “If you want honey, follow me.” The group finds a lovely honeycomb. But can they share it?

The book’s handsome, gentle pictures enhance the story. The first illustration is a Peaceable Kingdom of animals. Lion and leopard cubs converse with antelope and zebra foal under the spreading branches of the honey tree. The air is filled with butterflies and bees and the grass is dotted with flowers. The other illustrations follow suit, each teeming with life. Pale golden borders accented with blues, greens, pink and orange frame the pictures. This is a lovely book to share.

The Hatseller and the Monkeys

The Hatseller and the Monkeys by Baba Wague Diakite, 1999.


Diakite learned this tale in his home country of Mali, but he notes that it has appeared in folklore from Egypt, Sudan, Mali, India and England. BaMusa loves making and selling wide brimmed dibiri hats and close-fitting fugulan caps from town to town. One day, he is napping under a tree when many curious monkeys inspect his wares and decide to try them on. When BaMusa awakens, every monkey is also napping, each face covered by a shady hat. How will he reclaim his caps? Could the mischievous little monkeys have something to teach him? Readers familiar with Caps for Sale- A Tale of a Peddler, a Monkey and Their Monkey Business by Esphyr Slobodkina will enjoy this twist on an old favorite.

In Diakite’s ceramic tile paintings, monkeys abound. Each page is bordered with a continuous black and white lineup of the playful creatures. There is an illustration of a town gathering where a clown, Koroduga, wears a monkey mask. And naughty monkeys crouch, play and snooze in the main pictures. BaMusa’s hats are charming, with bold patterns and decorated peaks. Even the smiling, golden sun wears a cap.

Head, Body, Legs: a Story from Liberia

Head, Body, Legs: a Story from Liberia Retold by Won-Ldy Paye & Margaret H. Lippert. Illus. by Julie Paschkis, 2002.


This is a traditional creation story from the Dan people of northeastern Liberia. All alone, Head is only able to roll around and eat what he finds on the ground. This changes when he meets Arms, then Body and finally, Legs. The authors say that elders tell this tale to children to show the importance of cooperation. Paschkis’ illustrations were inspired by the Asafo flags of the Fante people from coastal Ghana. The simple dark shapes of the body parts contrast with the colorful backgrounds of orange, blue, lavender, etc. Head’s cheerful expression keeps the story light, and something that could be gruesome (disembodied parts) with a different treatment stays fun. Kids will laugh at the pieces’ mistaken attempts to join together before they find the perfect fit.

They Called Themselves the KKK by Susan Campbell Bartoletti

They Called Themselves the KKK: the Birth of an American Terrorist Group by Susan Campbell Bartoletti.


Bartoletti has created an extremely well written book about a terrible subject. She is the author of many excellent nonfiction titles for young adults such as Hitler Youth: Growing Up in Hitler's Shadow and Black Potatoes: The Story of the Great Irish Famine, 1845-1850 . Most of the information presented here about the KKK is historical, from its creation by six confederate officers in Tennessee in 1866 to the Ku Klux Klan trials in 1871 and up to Rutherford B. Hayes’ election and the Reconstruction’s end in 1877. The final chapter discusses more recent KKK activity and gives the terrifying statistic that in 2008 the Southern Poverty Law center counted 926 active hate groups in the U.S.

This is a difficult and infuriating book to read, but Bartoletti professionally addresses the Klan’s violence toward and abuse and murder of African American freed people after the Civil War. She begins by explaining the environment and attitudes in the South at the time and talks about the struggle that ensued after Lincoln was killed. Southerner Andrew Johnson became president and began Reconstruction when Congress was not in session, which caused hard feelings and further stress in the wounded country. The Klan began as an alleged social club for one group of men, and it developed into an organization with estimated tens of thousands of men who used any means to prevent freed people from voting, receiving schooling, worshipping in their own churches, farming or just living peacefully. The Klan also threatened, punished and murdered any white person who stood against the KKK or even aided freed people in any way.

Bartoletti’s text is accompanied by documents, photographs and archival drawings, such as photos of four of the KKK's creators, political cartoons by Thomas Nast and a ticket to Andrew Johnson’s impeachment trial. Chapters frequently conclude with quotes and photos from the Slave Narratives of men and women recalling the terror of the Klan. Readers can reflect on 99 year old Gabe Hines’ first impression of the Klansmen in their costumes, 87 year old Susan Merritt’s memories of praying in secret so white people didn’t know, and more. A timeline from 1863 to Obama’s election in 2008 is included.

Zomo the Rabbit

Zomo the Rabbit: a Trickster Tale From West Africa by Gerald McDermott. 1992.


Before his story begins, McDermott gives some background information about Zomo. He is a trickster who originated in Hausaland, Nigeria and is the original character who is also known as Brer Rabbit in the USA. Trickster tales are told to entertain, but also to teach. In this story, Zomo is a very clever rabbit, but he wants to be wise as well. When he asks Sky God for this gift, he learns that he must earn his wisdom by doing three impossible tasks. He shall bring Sky God Big Fish’s scales, Wild Cow’s milk, and Leopard’s tooth. Fortunately, Zomo has his wits. He has his drum. But, he has no caution. Will his efforts be worthwhile?

McDermott’s pictures were done in gouache on watercolor paper. They are very bright, eye-catching and filled with movement, which suits the cheerful story. Zomo is a cute black rabbit with a stylishly patterned hat and shirt. Sky God wears a changeable robe with pictures on it that aid the story’s narration. The expressions the animals make when Zomo tricks them are fun to see, especially Leopard’s.

I really enjoyed this picture book, both the story and the artwork!

The Lonely Lioness & the Ostrich Chicks

The Lonely Lioness and the Ostrich Chicks: a Masai Tale retold by Verna Aardema. Illus. by Yumi Heo, 1996.

The original source for Aardema’s tale is “The Story of the Ostrich Chicks” from The Masai: Their Language and Folklore by Claude Hollis, 1905. When a new mother ostrich takes her four chicks for a walk one day, she does not suspect that a lioness longing for children will steal hers. Lioness is nice to the babies and they soon forget that she is not their original mother. Now Mother Ostrich has no choice but to follow the lioness and beg for aid from every creature that they pass. Gazelle and Hyena are too cowardly to help, and Jackal tries and fails, but Mongoose is fearless. Can his bravado and brains return the chicks to Mother Ostrich?

Aardema uses sound effects in the story that would make this a good read aloud. Her Lioness purrs irtil-irtil-irtil, Gazelle bounds yir-id-de, yir-id-de, yir-id-de, and Mongoose skedaddles dik-dak-dilak. She begins her story with the Masai proverb “Even the ostrich, with its long neck and sharp eyes, cannot see what will happen in the future.”

Heo’s illustrations are delightful. The stylized animals are so satisfying. The ostrich and her family are dark brown and black with skinny long legs and necks and tiny heads. The lioness sleeps in a fan shaped tree, her body long and golden, her eyes dark and pupil less, with springy white whiskers. She is in comical contrast to her foster children, who follow her in a neat lineup. When we meet Mongoose he is in the foreground, but there are flying birds and insects in the sky and ants, caterpillars and lizards crawling over the mound beneath him. These background plants and animals make sense in the picture, but also make up patterns that resemble cave paintings. This interesting technique is consistent throughout the book.