Fish Eagle uses Hyena’s overriding greed to teach him a lesson he won’t soon forget when she tells him the biggest, sweetest meat is in the sky and he just has to climb up to get it.
Africa
Materials from Africa
The King and the Tortoise
The king challenges the animals in his kingdom to prove their wisdom by making him a robe of smoke, but only the tortoise is able to satisfy him.
Bedtime Hullabaloo
One night in the silly savannah as some animals are preparing for bed, they are disturbed by a loud hubbub and set out to discover its source.
Nii Kwei’s Day
Nii Kwei lives in Accra, the capital of Ghana. He gets up at 6 o’clock every morning. He helps his sisters and brother tidy up the compound, then he eats a breakfast of coco (corn porridge), bread, fried eggs and a chocolate drink. At 7:30 he goes to school in a taxi. Later, on his way home, he goes to Abraham’s material store with his mother. He ends the day playing football with his cousins, back at the compound. This book is part of the series A Child’s Day, photographic information books concentrating on the daily lives and experiences of children in countries around the world, published in association with Oxfam.
Why the Sky Is Far Away: A Nigerian Folktale
The sky was once so close to the Earth that people cut parts of it to eat, but their waste and greed caused the sky to move far away.
The Honey Hunters
An African folktale in which various animals peacefully follow a honey guide bird, but find that sharing the honey among themselves causes problems.
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.
Magid Fasts for Ramadan
It is the first day of Ramadan, the month when Muslims don’t eat and drink anything all day from sunrise to sunset. Magid’s parents have told him that he is not old enough to fast during the Ramadan, but Magid does not want to wait. Set in present-day Cairo, Egypt.
The Nightingale
Despite being neglected by the emperor for a jewel-studded bird, the little nightingale revives the dying ruler with its beautiful song.