Synopses & Reviews
A humorous and ironic folk tale from the Maasai of East Africa in which only the frog (a most unlikely heroine) is courageous enough to take on a bully.
Review
"Not even the fox, leopard, or elephant can drive the and#145;monsterand#8217; who eats and#145;rhinos for lunch and elephants for supperand#8217; from the den of the hare. Through Frogand#8217;s wisdom, tact, and calmness, the monsterand#151;a tiny caterpillarand#151;is evacuated from the hareand#8217;s cave. A lively Maasai tale, with vivid illustrations."
Horn Book Guide
"This evocative retelling of a Maasai fable features a hare who finds that her home has been taken over by a mysterious interloper. . . . Spurlland#8217;s lush jungle foliage and primitive page borders impart a believably African tone. . . . The implicit messageand#151;what you can imagine is often scarier than what actually existsand#151;is well taken here."
Publishers Weekly
"Mollel . . . tells this amusing cumulative tale with a verve that especially recommends it for oral sharing; Spurll sets her wonderfully expressive animal characters in a carefully composed jungle attractively bordered with a lively geometric design, adding such delightful touches as a bespectacled leopard reading to her wide-eyed cubs. Delightful."
Kirkus Reviews with Pointers
Synopsis
A humorous and ironic folk tale from the Maasai of East Africa in which only the frog (a most unlikely heroine) is courageous enough to take on a bully.
About the Author
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..