A book of ten African folktales telling stories of the animals and people of the land. Why does the Hippo have no hair?, how did the elephant get his trunk?

A fun collection of African folktales for younger readers

A collection of African folktales, written for young readers. Includes colorful and lively illustrations that support the text.

I liked this book for several reasons. I enjoyed the author’s note to the reader in the beginning of the book which explains some history on Africa. The author’s note explains to readers that Africa has over 2,000 languages and that when folk tales are translated to English, some pieces of the story may change but the heart of the story is still the same. This is a great informational tool for young readers in understanding the cultural background of each of the stories in the book as well as how they came to be. I also liked that underneath each story title the author included the origin of the folk take – Ethiopia, Morocco, Nigeria, etc. This helps the reader understand the differences between the folk takes and the cultures behind each tale. I also enjoyed that some stories, particularly the tale from Nigeria, included words in the native language. The tale or the tortoise and his banjo featured a song in which they repeat “Kiri bamba kiri”. I think this is a nice touch that gives readers a greater cultural perspective on the stories. I also enjoyed that the illustrations feature bright colors that make the book engaging and also match the stories well. All of the stories feature animals, and the illustrations on each page represent the appropriate animal for each story. On some of the animals, traditional African patterns are illustrated on their fur which I think is interesting. The book’s main purpose is to provide the reader with a variety of folk tales from Africa. ( )

At the beginning of this book, the author takes time to paint a picture of the history of Africa and the stories contained within the book, adding to the authenticity of the stories told. The author also reminds us that we can act out, sing, or dance to these tales, creating a joyous tone that weaves its way through all of the tales. In these stories the animals take on human characteristics, whether they are acting foolishly, joyfully, or with vengeance. What a wonderful beginning to lessons on Africa, characterizations, and story writing. This book would be especially strong for upper elementary ages as students write their own folktales.