Sebgugugu the Glutton A Bantu Tale from Rwanda

A retelling of a Bantu folktale provides a humorous look at humankind as it follows the antics of Sebgugugu, whose gluttony leads him into all sorts of difficulties.

Kindergarten-Grade 3-- This folktale from Rwanda features Sebgugugu, a poor man with a young family and only one cow. One day he thinks he hears a crow telling him to kill the cow; in return, he will get a hundred more. Although Sebgugugu's wife warns him not to "do anything so foolish," he slaughters his cow. As his starving family searches for food, Sebgugugu implores Imana, the mythical Lord of Rwanda, to save them. Imana appears and leads them to a magical vine, but Sebgugugu is ordered not to cut it. Twice more, Sebgugugu behaves foolishly. This time Imana does not give him another chance; his family disappears. Aardema's adaptation is lively and readable, with vivid, onomatopoetic language. Repetition and swift action will appeal to beginning readers. The wife's repeated warnings are accompanied by illustrations that show her increasing alarm. These pictures are rendered in a primitive style; they are more suggestive than realistic. In general, they work quite well with the text. True to the original tradition, this is a didactic folktale that shows children proper values and warns them of the consequences of violating those principles. Its message, however, is also a contemporary one. --Lyn Miller-Lachmann, Siena College Library, Loudonville, NY
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.