When the village girls cruelly trick the daughter of their king, he will forgive them only if they kill Nabulela, a treacherous white-skinned monster. A tale of the Nguni people
Nabulela: A South African Folk Tale
Africa
Materials from Africa
King of Another Country
A young African drummer learns the difference between extremes and moderation when the King of the Forest teaches him to say “yes” instead of “no.”
Tabu and the Dancing Elephants
When a young boy named Tabu is taken away by an old mama elephant while his father is sleeping, Tabu’s mother gets him back by teaching the elephants how to dance.
The Song Of Six Birds
Wishing to make beautiful music with the flute that was given to her by her mother, young Lindiwe captures the songs of six different birds in her flute and shares the irresistible tune with the people of her African village.
Imani in the Belly
Imani’s faith helps her save herself and her children from the belly of the King of Beasts.
Sungura and Leopard: A Swahili Trickster Tale
A small but clever hare and a fierce leopard agree to share a house, but as the hare’s family grows, he realizes that he must find a way to get rid of his bad-tempered neighbor.
Song Bird
An adaptation of a folktale from southern Africa, in which a magical bird helps a kind young girl get back her people’s stolen cattle from Makucha the monster.
Zoom Upstream
Zoom the cat follows a mysterious trail through a bookshelf to Egypt, where he joins his friend Maria in a search for his Uncle Roy.
The Camel That Had No Hump
All the camels are worried when a baby camel is born among them without a hump. The adult camels try unsuccessfully to fix this problem. Surprising events lead to a happy ending to this gentle story where children expand perceptions of the differently gifted among all of us.
Clever Ali
When seven-year-old Ali’s greedy pet steals cherries from the wicked Sultan for whom his father keeps carrier pigeons, Ali is given three days to find 600 new cherries or his father will be thrown into the deep, dark oubliette. Includes facts about carrier pigeons and the sultan on whom this story is based, as well as an excerpt from “In Praise of Books” by al-Jahiz.