Synopsis
While out walking with his brother Cikungwa, blind Zimani has an encounter with Mkango the lion and tries to trick him before he has a chance to kill them.
School Library Journal
Gr 2-4-Three worthwhile additions to folklore shelves. All have carefully cited sources, smoothly written texts suitable for independent reading or group presentation, and colorful watercolor illustrations. In Spider..., Ananse tries to retrieve all of the good advice that he has dispensed to the unappreciative villagers and learns that he is not the only one who is wise. In Wanyana..., a girl's kindness to a frog in distress is later repaid when he helps her discover which of her suitors would make the best husband. Zimani's Drum has blind Zimani cleverly rescuing his brother and a pair of sisters from Mkango the Lion, who is determined to eat them all. Each book concludes with a brief pronunciation and definition guide. None of these stories are currently available in picture-book format, and while there are numerous other Akan tales to choose from, the Bagandan and the Malawian cultures have not been as well represented. Solid purchases sure to find an audience.-Grace Oliff, Ann Blanche Smith School, Hillsdale, NJ