Leopard and Fly set out to find wives in this retelling of an Ashanti folktale, only to come into conflict when Fly is welcomed at every village, and Leopard is driven away. Angry and humiliated, Leopard responds by tying his friend to a tree, and lying in wait for anyone who would dare rescue him. Nkatee the Peanut and Kwadu the Banana both happen by, but refuse to help. Finally, Half-A-Ball-Of-Kenki comes along, frees Fly, and fights Leopard...

Inspired by an off-hand comment during an online discussion, I am currently reading everything I can find by Verna Aardema, a children's author well known for her many excellent adaptations of African folklore. Unfortunately, Half-A-Ball-Of-Kenki is not one of her better titles. I found myself pretty unexcited at the prospect of a leopard wrestling with a (half) ball of cornmeal mush, and would probably only recommend this title (long out-of-print) to die-hard Aardema fans.

As a side note, I was interested to learn that illustrator Diane Stanley once published as "Diane Stanley Zuromskis." ( )

Lighthearted retelling of an Ashanti tale. Leopard, thinking himself better than Fly, dresses up in fancy garments and forces his companion to carry his bundle on their search for young maidens to marry. To Leopard's surprise, Fly is more successful with the young women than he is, so he takes angry measures against Fly, only to discover once again, that Fly is more popular still. The earthy, and culture-conscious illustrations, bring to life this engaging tale of frienship, envy, and getting what's coming to you. However, even though the illustrations dull and lack vivid hues. On the other hand, Aardema has taken a traditional African tale, and told it in a humorous way. Leopard is the arquetype of the self-centered individual, and Fly is the easy-going fellow whose unassuming charm attracts all the young maidens. A good choice to complement an African-American animal tales collection. Half-a-ball-of-Kenki: an Ashanti Tale Retold. Verna Aardema ; and with pictures by Diane Stanley Zuromskis. New York : F. Warne, c1979, 31 pp. Ages 5 to 8.
$20.00 collectors edition.