Folktales from Many Lands

Children's Literature

The author of the well-regarded The Honey Hunters (Candlewick, 1994) retells another East African folktale from Tanzania in this beautifully illustrated story. Elephant and Hippopotamus taunt each other about their strength until Clever Tortoise challenges each to a tug-of-war. Tortoise, however, arranges to get out of the middle and lets the two giants tug each other, connected as they are by the huge vine rope the animals have fashioned. When Tortoise cuts the rope, both huge animals fall backward and declare Tortoise the strongest, and that is how the quarrel is mended. Martin's softly textured watercolors are set between decorative borders and depict the many animals native to Tanzania in an intricately designed tableaux. The story reads well aloud but the details of the pictures, while perfect for lap or side-by-side listening, will be lost to a large group. 2000, Candlewick Press, $14.99. Ages 6 to 9. Reviewer: Susan Hepler

School Library Journal

K-Gr 2-The animals living on the banks of Lake Nyasa in Africa are happy and content until Elephant and Hippopotamus literally start throwing their weight around, frightening and bullying the smaller denizens. Tortoise comes up with a successful scheme to put the two in their place, proving that a small creature's brain can overcome a larger animal's brawn. Martin tells her story in rhythmic, deceptively simple sentences, punctuated with sounds and Kiswahili words that extend the story. The narrative cries to be read aloud. The textured watercolor paintings are rendered in colors at once vibrant and muted, and packed with fascinating, expressive details. Especially appealing is the parade of the animals across the title page with their Kiswahili names above them. Attractive decorative borders line the top and bottom margins. The source note is more personal than scholarly, although it does place the story's roots in Tanzania. This title has enormous storytime and classroom potential and is bound to make a splash with youngsters.-Donna L. Scanlon, Lancaster Area Library, PA Copyright 2000 Cahners Business Information.|

Kirkus Reviews

Martin (The Honey Hunters, 1992, etc.) retells an old, old trickster story from the Ngoni people of southern Tanzania with great good humor and a story-teller style highly appropriate for a tale from the oral tradition: "Listen! / There is a lake in Africa, called Nyasa. / Mmm, it is full of blue cool water." and "Hm, tch, tch, it started like this . . ." Words in Kiswahili, the language most spoken in Tanzania, are translated immediately in text, thus proving to be no problem for readers, from Chungu (black ant), Chura (frog) and Kobi (tortoise) in the appealing title page to the final line, Kwa heri ya kuonana, wanangu ("so long, children, till we meet again.") The personal, one-on-one tone expands deliciously in luscious, lavish watercolors depicting what happens when two boastful bullies, Elephant and Hippopotamus, declare their superiority over the small animals. Warthog calls a meeting to find a way to control the two behemoths; big-brained Tortoise comes up with a tricky tug-of-war that pits one against the other unbeknownst to either. The battle is joined in its traditional way: Elephant has one end, Hippopotamus the other. Tortoise ends the tug by cutting the rope, leaving the bullies questioning-but not denigrating-his strength. What makes this version particularly appealing is the panels of illustration, boarders run the length of two pages, the jungle scene takes up three quarters of those pages with the text set out on white space. There's plenty to look at in the highly detailed vignettes and abundant color helps to set the mood. Utterly charming and a great read-aloud. (Picture book. 5-8)