The Flying Tortoise: An Igbo Tale - Hardcover

Mollel, Tololwa Marti

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0395688450 ISBN 13: 9780395688458

Publisher: Clarion Books, 1994

Synopsis

Proud of his shiny, magnificent shell, greedy Mbeku the tortoise demands the best of everything from the other animals, until tired of his tricks, the birds decide to give him his comeuppance, in a traditional Igbo tale from Nigeria.

About this title

About the Author:

Tololwa M. Mollel, an Arusha Maasai from Tanzania, grew up on his grandfather's coffee farm, an hour's drive from Mount Kilimanjaro. After receiving his B.A. in Literature and Theatre at the University of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, Mr. Mollel went to Canada in 1966 to complete his master's degree at the University of Alberta. In the late 1970s he returned to Tanzania where he was Senior Lecturer and Head of the Theatre Department at the University of Dar es Salaam. At that time he was also co-director of a children's theatre and arts group. Mr. Mollel has written many books for Clarion. He lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota..

From School Library Journal:

Grade 1-3-This Nigerian trickster tale stars a cunning and vain tortoise who gets his comeuppance. Mbeku convinces the jungle birds to let him accompany them on a visit to the Skylanders so he can steal all of their food. When the birds protest that he cannot fly, he devises an elaborate set of wings and joins them on their trip. When the birds realize they've been duped, they exact a revenge that ends Mbeku's vanity. His previously perfect, smooth shell is cracked and scratched in the process, and henceforth, all others of his ilk follow suit. However, as with any good trickster, it is clear that Mbeku will be back to wreak havoc. The watercolor cartoons exaggerate realistic details and are full of bold tropical colors. Spurll is particularly adept at depicting motion and facial expressions. The campy style is saved from excess by the humor the pictures exude. The text is set off from the illustrations in cream-colored boxes, which makes it easier to read, but crowds the layout. Mollel consistently chooses descriptive vocabulary for his retelling-there's never a mere "said" when a "gasped" or a "hissed" will do. The combination of a lively narrative and vibrant illustrations result in a vivacious read-aloud choice.
Cheri Estes, Dorchester Road Regional Library, Charleston, SC
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About this edition

• Publisher: Clarion Books
• Publication date: 1994
• ISBN 10: 0395688450
• ISBN 13: 9780395688458
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 1
• Illustrator: Spurll Barbara