This West African folk tale begins with a mosquito telling a lie to an iguana about a stalk of yams. Annoyed, the iguana plugs its ears with sticks, which triggers a chain reaction of panic among the jungle animals. A crow sounds an alarm that frightens a monkey, whose frantic swinging ends in a tragedy at an owl’s nest. Because the mother owl refuses to wake the sun out of grief, King Lion gathers the animals to trace the disaster back to its original source.
Children and parents read this story to understand how gossip and misunderstandings can ripple through a community. The book functions as a "why" story, explaining a specific natural behavior through logic and folklore. Readers finish the book knowing exactly why the mosquito continues to whisper in human ears today. The narrative pattern uses repetition and onomatopoeia, which helps young listeners track the sequence of cause and effect while building phonemic awareness through the distinct sounds of each animal.
Practical, outward-looking, clear-cut and escapist; an easy read.
Best for readers like The Practical Optimizer. Which reader are you?
- Published
- 1975
- Language
- EN
