Overview
Young Abekenile and all the villagers of Yao feel safe sheltered deep within the jungle. But word has now come that slavers are on their way! Abekenile looks to the women of her tribe: her mother, who comes up with a clever plan to fool the slavers, and a tribal elder, who stays behind to face the slavers, steadfast in her trust that the ancestor-spirits will watch over her. But as the villagers retreat within the forest, it is Abekenile who finds that she too has the bravery and daring to help her people stay safe and free.
Kadir Nelson's lush and striking artwork beautifully expresses this inspiring tale.
In southeastern Africa, a young Yao girl and her mother find a way for their fellow villagers to escape approaching slave traders.
Synopsis
Young Abekenile and all the villagers of Yao feel safe sheltered deep within the jungle. But word has now come that slavers are on their way! Abekenile looks to the women of her tribe: her mother, who comes up with a clever plan to fool the slavers, and a tribal elder, who stays behind to face the slavers, steadfast in her trust that the ancestor-spirits will watch over her. But as the villagers retreat within the forest, it is Abekenile who finds that she too has the bravery and daring to help her people stay safe and free.
Kadir Nelson's lush and striking artwork beautifully expresses this inspiring tale.
Publishers Weekly
The creator of The Village of Round and Square Houses sets another moving tale on African soil, this time recounting how a small village escapes a band of slave traders. Young Abikanile and her mother, Njemile, guide their fellow villagers in an ingenious escape, but it requires both courage and faith. In the style of an African storyteller, Grifalconi uses expressive prose to eloquently recount the anxious and poignant atmosphere as villagers prepare to flee deep into the forest to wait out the slavers. First, they must wipe out all traces of the village of Yao (except for the elder, Chimwala, who elects to stay and pose as a soothsayer): "The people stood back, then, leaning on their hoes, their tears wetting the soil where their homes had rested, as the smell of freshly turned earth rose about them." Nelson's (Just the Two of Us) oils, heavy on dusky tones, fill in finely detailed pencil drawings to convey the dense flora of the African jungle as well as the gait, poise and feelings of the villagers. Crosshatched shadings add subtle texture to their dark skin, while a small white flower or brightly colored batik provides sophisticated contrast. In an especially effective scene, Njemile tells her daughter of the slavers who "come riding in swiftly on horseback, shooting their long guns, capturing unarmed farmers" while shadowy images of them, guns raised at the ready, eerily appear as dark clouds against an orange sky. An uplifting tale of inner strength and courage. Ages 5-up. (Sept.) Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information.
Editorials
Publishers Weekly
The creator of The Village of Round and Square Houses sets another moving tale on African soil, this time recounting how a small village escapes a band of slave traders. Young Abikanile and her mother, Njemile, guide their fellow villagers in an ingenious escape, but it requires both courage and faith. In the style of an African storyteller, Grifalconi uses expressive prose to eloquently recount the anxious and poignant atmosphere as villagers prepare to flee deep into the forest to wait out the slavers. First, they must wipe out all traces of the village of Yao (except for the elder, Chimwala, who elects to stay and pose as a soothsayer): "The people stood back, then, leaning on their hoes, their tears wetting the soil where their homes had rested, as the smell of freshly turned earth rose about them." Nelson's (Just the Two of Us) oils, heavy on dusky tones, fill in finely detailed pencil drawings to convey the dense flora of the African jungle as well as the gait, poise and feelings of the villagers. Crosshatched shadings add subtle texture to their dark skin, while a small white flower or brightly colored batik provides sophisticated contrast. In an especially effective scene, Njemile tells her daughter of the slavers who "come riding in swiftly on horseback, shooting their long guns, capturing unarmed farmers" while shadowy images of them, guns raised at the ready, eerily appear as dark clouds against an orange sky. An uplifting tale of inner strength and courage. Ages 5-up. (Sept.) Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information.From The Critics
The story of how Abikanile's Yao village is saved from the dreaded slavers is told as if by a traditional griot or African folk teller. Hearing that the slavers are coming, Abikanile's mother Njemile prays to their ancestors for help for the unprotected women, children, and old men. She then reveals her plan: the villagers must disappear into the woods, erasing all traces of their homes. Only Abikanile's grandmother Chimwala, too old to move, decides to stay. The villagers dismantle their houses and hide their possessions, rake over the ground, and leave. When they come to a seemingly uncrossable river, Abikanile asks the spirits of her ancestors for help. She sees a stone path emerge across the river, but the others are too fearful to see it. Bravely, Abikanile leads the people across. Meanwhile, Chimwala has courageously faced the slavers. They search in vain for any trace of the people, then go away frustrated, never to return. The importance of both faith and courage are emphasized in this suspenseful, lyrically told original tale. Although not a true folk tale, it has the same flavor. It can also help contemporary readers understand a bit about village life at the time, while conveying some of the frightening threat of being taken as a slave that pervaded sub-Saharan Africa. Nelson's black-line pencil drawings, photocopied and then subtly colored with transparent oil paints, create the jungle village, its many inhabitants, and the countryside into which they flee. We can feel the humidity and sense the anxiety. On the jacket/cover, the slavers emerging as shadows from the clouds behind Abikanile presage the reality to come. Lines are used to build up sculptural forms, used almostlike clay to model bodies, trees, and huts. Nelson also presents vividly real personalities: Abikanile is a girl verging on womanhood; Njemile is a stately matron, and Chimwala a solid yet sensitive symbol of wisdom. The Author's Note adds information on traditional African story-telling and includes pronunciation of the authentic Yao names. 2002, Dial,— Ken and Sylvia Marantz