Mee-An is the most beautiful girl in all the village and seeks to marry a perfect looking man without any blemishes or scars. Mee-An turns down suitor after suitor until she meets this odd man that her sister Assa says "does not smell like a human". She marries the man and they journey to their new home with Assa's help. One day the girls discover that Mee-Ann's perfect man is no other than a magic serpent in disguise who really wishes to eat the girls. Mee-An and Assa then beg a heron for help to fly them back home.
This folktale teaches children to appreciate one's heart over one's looks. This is a common lesson is fairy tales or folklore, but I like how this book took a different twist on the lesson. I also enjoyed the lively illustrations of the book, and thought that the back story on the heron turning white was interesting as well. ( )

I absolutely loved this story and its message. "Seeing a person is not the same as knowing him". ( )

Me-An and the Magic Serpent is a folktale from Mali. The folk tale is about a beautiful girl named Mee-An looking for a husband. She only cares about physical features. Her younger sister Assa is magic and tries to help Mee-An find a husband with no physical imperfections. Assa has the ability to transform herself into a fly, and she flies around the marketplace to find a suitor for her sister. Then a magic serpent over hears some young men in the village talking about taking Mee-An's hand in marriage, so the serpent disguises itself as a young handsome man. Assa, flying around as a fly and finds the perfect suitor, she claims that he does not smell like a human, but Mee-Ann ignores her sisters warnings. When the serpent and Mee-An arrive to her parents home bad signs began to appear Mee-An's mother tried to caution her however, Mee-Ah ignores her mothers advice. So Mee-An, Assa, and the serpent go to their new home across a huge river. Until one day Mee-An and Assa over hear the serpents plans to stuff them and eat them. Mee-An and Assa sing to a black heron to save them. At first, the heron does not help them because he believes that humans can not be trusted. However, after a while he does. The sisters return to their old lives. Mee-An learns that seeing a person is not the same as knowing them. This folk lore tries teaches an important moral, its not about what is on the outside but what is on the inside that truly counts. I really loved this book. I think it would make a great read-aloud. ( )

This book is about a beautiful women looking for the perfect "looking" husband. She only cares about , and because of that an evil snake disguises himself as the perfect man and tries to eat her and her sister. The women learned to not judge a book by it's cover. It teaches a great lesson to all children. ( )

This was an amazing tale! I love how Mee-An thinks that there is a perfect man out there. I wish! Good thing her sister was there, though. Love is blinding. ( )