African Folk Tales for the Young at Heart: Hausa Tales of Wit, Wisdom, and Wonder by Abubakar Yusuf Ibrahim: REVIEW
Synopsis
A collection of traditional Nigerian folk tales for children and the young at heart.
My Review
When I saw an ARC on NetGalley called African Folk Tales for the Young at Heart, I requested it before I’d even read the description. My almost immediate approval plus its mere 3 reviews only one month before publication seem to suggest that my eagerness to read this isn’t a typical response. That’s a shame, because this is a nice collection.
If you’ve read Aesop’s Fables, you’ll be familiar with the format of these tales. Most of them involve talking animals, tricksters, or kings and queens from long ago, and they each present a kernel of wisdom for the discerning audience. Some attempt to explain the origin of a common phenomenon, like why mosquitos are fated to be swatted away from ears (‘The Mosquito, the Hand, and the Ear’), or why dogs chase cars (‘Why Animals Act Like They Do’). Others openly impart life lessons (‘Moyi’s Ten Lessons’) or subtly critique social behaviours (‘The Jackal’s Foresight’). All of them are full of whimsy and charm.
My one criticism would be that some of the illustrations are a little too cartoonish for my taste. In particular, there’s one where a snake has arms and is wearing human clothes, in a story where that isn’t even applicable. However, kids probably wouldn’t care, and it does accentuate the story’s relevance to human behaviour. I liked most of the illustrations and the Nigerian culture they all depict.
Conclusion
If you’re at all interested in folk tales and/or African literature, definitely check out this collection! It’s a fun way to get a taste of Nigeria’s rich and vibrant culture.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Iskanchi Press for providing this ARC for review consideration.
You can pre-order African Folk Tales here on Bookshop.org* (Release Date: July 30)
*As an affiliate, I will get a small commission from any purchase made through this link.