Subira Subira

When Tatu finds she can do nothing to improve her little brother's hateful behavior and make him happy again, she goes to an old spirit woman for help. The spirit woman tells Tatu that to cure Maulidi, she must pluck three whiskers from a lion! Armed only with a song, Tatu steals out into the moonlit night to undertake her impossible task. Acclaimed storyteller Tololwa M. Mollel sets his satisfying retelling of a traditional folktale in contemporary Tanzania, beautifully depicted in Linda Saport's lush illustrations. An author's note and the music for Tatu's song follow the story.

Children's Literature

Tololwa Mollel, an acclaimed storyteller in his native Tanzania, has adapted another traditional African tale complimented by Linda Saport's warm, round illustrations in vibrant but softly brushed pastels. Tatu must care for her difficult little brother Maulidi while their widowed father spends long days at work. Tatu visits a wise old woman in the forest who instructs her to return with three whiskers from a lion. She learns that the same quality that enabled her to pluck the whiskers from the lion will be useful with her little brother--patience. Patience is the translation of the book's Swahili title Subira Subira as well as a Swahili song that Tatu sings. Music for the song is included in the book. American children may want a more dramatic conclusion to the story, but the moral of this tale can open the door to an understanding and even a discussion about the quality of patience that so often eludes children. 2000, Clarion Books, Ages 5 to 8, $15.00. Reviewer: Karen Leggett

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..