Synopses & Reviews
"I want to be big. Big as a mountain and strong as the wind!" declares little Oli. Yet when he gets his wish, he finds that with great size and strength come big problems and big responsibilities. Master storyteller Tololwa M. Mollel has placed a traditional African motif within the framework of contemporary life in his native Tanzania to create an exciting tale with the comforting conclusion that maybe it's good to be little-sometimes.
Review
"This is a lovely title that speaks to the African experience in an authentic voice. A book that belongs in every collection." School Library Journal
Synopsis
Little Oli wants to be big enough to go bird hunting with his older brother, Mbachu, and to his amazement and eventual dismay, his wish to become as big as a mountain and as strong as the wind comes true.
About the Author
E.B. Lewis's watercolor paintings appear in BIG BOY and many other picture books. The recipient of a Coretta Scott King Honor for Illustration, he lives in Folsom, New Jersey.Tololwa M. Mollel, an Arusha Maasai from Tanzania, grew up on his grandfather's coffee farm, an hour's drive from Mount Kilimanjaro. After receiving his B.A. in Literature and Theatre at the University of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, Mr. Mollel went to Canada in 1966 to complete his master's degree at the University of Alberta. In the late 1970s he returned to Tanzania where he was Senior Lecturer and Head of the Theatre Department at the University of Dar es Salaam. At that time he was also co-director of a children's theatre and arts group. Mr. Mollel has written many books for Clarion. He lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota..