Materials from Africa
Geoffrey is a very tall, very clumsy giraffe. He tries to make friends with the animals down on the ground, but he just trips, slips, and falls . . . usually flat on his face.Poor old Geoffrey tries everything to fit in, but it’s only when he realizes that his height can be an advantage that he stretches out his long neck and finds a host of friends in the trees. Soon he discovers he can find friends just by being himself.
What do newborn elephants look like? How big are they? What threatens them in the wild? Do they bully each other? Are they stalked by lions? What happens if they don’t get enough food or water? Are they at risk of extinction?
Visit the oasis – a green jewel in the Sahara – and see the birds, bugs, animals and people who both survive and thrive there.
An eight-year-old girl describes her year living in the southern African country of Swaziland.
The King of Beasts loses his crown. This African folktale begins a long time ago, when the lion declares himself king of beasts. The entire animal population of the savanna pays daily respects to a roaring tyrant who works them ragged and allows them no rest.His Majesty’s fearless bodyguard, the mongoose, protects the king from snakes, until one day the mongoose decides instead to play in the babbling stream. Outraged, the king sends two birds, a buffalo and a turtle to fetch him for the purpose of sever punishment. The mongoose explains that all of the animals would be happier if they could play and swim as they wish. The king grows weak from nightmares and finally scurries across the savanna to see the mongoose. The lion arrives just in time to witness the coronation of the new king, the mongoose, who plans to share the pleasures of the savanna with all of the celebrating animals.
Five traditional Nigerian tales include “Hen and Frog,” “Why Bush Cow and Elephant are Bad Friends,” “The Husband Who Counted the Spoonfuls,” “Why Frog and Snake Never Play Together,” and “How Animals Got Their Tails.”
Every day many children in Kenya run miles to school–so does Ndito. From her village in the highlands she runs barefoot, across ridges and down hills, under baobab trees and through tall grass
With the help of his younger sister, 7-year-old Abdul raises money to go to school by selling oranges in the marketplace in Sierra Leone.
Includes four traditional tales told by the Hausa, Angolan, Masai, and Bushmen people of Africa.
Text and pictures document the life cycle of this amazing tree of the African savannah, and portrays the animals and people it helps to support.