Nelson Mandela's Favorite African Folktales (Aesop Accolades (Awards))

From Publishers Weekly
Nobel Peace laureate Mandela understandably gets top billing here, but this collection of short fables compiles writings and translations by numerous authors and features illustrations by a diverse collection of artists. Together, the tales and their accompanying artwork create a patchwork of legends drawn from all over the African continent, from Morocco to Kenya to Swaziland. Snakes with seven heads and Zulu tricksters are found here, as well as various creation myths and a Kenyan lion (with the familiar name of Simba) who teaches a cunning hyena a lesson. The colorful birds, giant elephants and mischievous children populating the volume teach sometimes cryptic lessons about obedience, perseverance, cooperation and the simple strangeness of life. In one story, the children of an East African village must destroy a beautiful and enchanting bird that has brought bad luck to the surrounding countryside. In another, a courageous girl frees a prince from the spell that made him a python. In tales such as these, the dream-like, unpredictable symbology and sometimes cruel morality of myths resonate, and, in Mandela's words, the "gritty essence of Africa" shines through in stories with universal themes. Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.


From School Library Journal
Grade 1-5-Mandela states in the foreword, "It is my wish that the voice of the storyteller will never die in Africa-.," and he has chosen 32 traditional tales for this handsome oversized volume. While nearly half the selections have their origins in South Africa, the rest represent some of the continent's most cherished tales and come from Botswana, Swaziland, Malawi, Zimbabwe, and other sub-Saharan countries as well as a single selection from Morocco. Each story is introduced with a short provenance or source note, and a frontispiece map matches each tale with its geographical area. Told by a variety of storytellers and folklorists, or gleaned from previously published sources, the tellings vary from literary to contemporary. The book also provides a showcase for 18 illustrators, mostly from South Africa, who contributed one full-page illustration per story. This is a rich collection that would provide depth and breadth to any classroom study alongside the many single-tale picture-book editions readily found on library shelves.Susan Hepler, Burgundy Farm Country Day School, Alexandria, VACopyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.


From Library Journal
South African hero Mandela chooses 32 African folktales, some predating Ovid, and decks them out with specially commissioned illustrations. Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.


From Booklist
Gr. 6-12, younger for reading aloud. From desert to jungle to veld and misty mountain, the African landscape plays a vital role in each of these 32 lively folktales, retold here with the rhythm and immediacy of the oral tradition. Most of the stories are from southern Africa, but even these are immensely varied (a Cinderella story from Namaqualand, a hare-and-hyena tale from Botswana, a Malay-Indian story from Cape Town). There are also several from other parts of the continent, including Morocco, Nigeria, and Uganda. The stories range from the lyrical San creation myth "The Mantis and the Moon," to sly trickster tales, silly farce, and a gruesome warning to disobedient children. Then there's a Xhosa tale about a snake with seven heads, retold by writer Gcina Mhlope. A brief note at the beginning of each story discusses its folklore motifs and probable origin. The vibrant, full-page color paintings by various contemporary illustrators range from folk art to computer graphics. Of course, the name in the title adds appeal; storytellers will want this. Hazel Rochman
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved


Book Description
"It is my wish that the voice of the storyteller may never die in Africa, that all the children of the world may experience the wonder of books."—Nelson Mandela, from the Foreword The vibrant tradition of African folktales—an oral heritage of stories that predates Ovid—is long, varied, and exceptionally rich, but surprisingly has been largely overlooked in the West. Nelson Mandela, the Nobel Laureate for Peace, selected thirty-two African stories for this extraordinary new book, an anthology that will present Africa's oldest folktales to the children of the world. In these stories, we meet a Kenyan lion named Simba and tricksters from Zulu folklore; we hear the voices of the scheming hyena and learn from a Khoi fable how animals acquired their tails and horns. Accompanied by dozens of enchanting, specially commissioned color paintings, these fables—culled from African countries as far-flung as Morocco, Uganda, and Tanzania—present a veritable bible of stories "universal in their portrayal of humanity, beasts, and the mystical." Four-color illustrations throughout.


Card catalog description
A collection of traditional stories from different parts of Africa, featuring varied characters and themes--some familiar, some newer.


About the Author
Nelson Mandela was South Africa's first democratically elected president. He lives in Johannesburg and remains a leading figure of international diplomacy.


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Gr 1-5-Mandela states in the foreword, "It is my wish that the voice of the storyteller will never die in Africa-.," and he has chosen 32 traditional tales for this handsome oversized volume. While nearly half the selections have their origins in South Africa, the rest represent some of the continent's most cherished tales and come from Botswana, Swaziland, Malawi, Zimbabwe, and other sub-Saharan countries as well as a single selection from Morocco. Each story is introduced with a short provenance or source note, and a frontispiece map matches each tale with its geographical area. Told by a variety of storytellers and folklorists, or gleaned from previously published sources, the tellings vary from literary to contemporary. The book also provides a showcase for 18 illustrators, mostly from South Africa, who contributed one full-page illustration per story. This is a rich collection that would provide depth and breadth to any classroom study alongside the many single-tale picture-book editions readily found on library shelves.-Susan Hepler, Burgundy Farm Country Day School, Alexandria, VA Copyright 2003 Cahners Business Information.


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