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.
The King and the Tortoise
Africa
Materials from Africa
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.
Egypt: In Spectacular Cross-Section (Egypt)
Allows readers to get an idea of ancient Egyptian civilization by examining a series of detailed cross-section and cutaway illustrations.
What the Animals Were Waiting For
Cowbells tinkle. And over there, a family of elephants munches on dry grass, flaps huge ears like slow fans, and waits. It is a time of waiting. The gazelles, the wildebeest and the zebras are all waiting. The lions, too, and the crocodiles are waiting. Little Tepi watches the animals and wonders what is coming. Soon there will be rain, and food for everyone! In simple, stirring verse, this stunningly illustrated picture book tells the story of the dramatic cycles of life on the Masai Mara range in Africa — one of the last great, wild places on Earth.
Nabulela: A South African Folk Tale
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
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.”
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.
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 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.