Synopses & Reviews
When Tatu finds she can do nothing to improve her little brother's hateful behavior and make him happy again, she goes to an old spirit woman for help. The spirit woman tells Tatu that to cure Maulidi, she must pluck three whiskers from a lion! Armed only with a song, Tatu steals out into the moonlit night to undertake her impossible task. Acclaimed storyteller Tololwa M. Mollel sets his satisfying retelling of a traditional folktale in contemporary Tanzania, beautifully depicted in Linda Saport's lush illustrations. An author's note and the music for Tatu's song follow the story.
Review
"Adding a touch of magic, Mollel retells a traditional Tanzanian
folktale about the costs and pleasures of taming a wild-child younger
brother. Saport's pastels are so rich with deep blues, russets, golds,
and ambers that they belie their name. Her illustrations flow acoss the
spreads, masterfully supporting the story while adding mood and
characterization. . . . A subtle message, which avoids didacticism
through the simplicity of its language and the power of its
illustrations."
Review
"A Tanzanian girl discovers the all-important secret to getting along
with her younger brother in this compelling adaptation of an African
folktale. Following the death of their mother, Tatu must take on the
responsibility of caring for Maulidi after school, while their father
is still at work. . . . Saport's rough-hewn pastels skillfully blend
elements of mystery and everyday life in depictions of a spooky
nighttime forest and glowing-eyed lion or of village children walking
to school. Her luminous, almost electric indigos and golds suggest not
only exotic climes but the magic of the text."
Review
"Readers-aloud and storytellers will appreciate Mollel's fresh take on this oft-interpreted tale."
Review
"The marriage of a poignantly written tale with sophisticated artwork revitalizes a time-honored story."
Review
"Saport's richly colored pastel illustrations express the magic and the everyday in the Tanzanian village. Most powerful are the flowing scenes of the brave girl and the lion, first far apart, then in a stroking embrace that's both metaphor and stirring story." Booklist, ALA, Boxed Review
"Adding a touch of magic, Mollel retells a traditional Tanzanian folktale about the costs and pleasures of taming a wild-child younger brother. Saport's pastels are so rich with deep blues, russets, golds, and ambers that they belie their name. Her illustrations flow acoss the spreads, masterfully supporting the story while adding mood and characterization. . . . A subtle message, which avoids didacticism through the simplicity of its language and the power of its illustrations."
Kirkus Reviews with Pointers
"A Tanzanian girl discovers the all-important secret to getting along with her younger brother in this compelling adaptation of an African folktale. Following the death of their mother, Tatu must take on the responsibility of caring for Maulidi after school, while their father is still at work. . . . Saports rough-hewn pastels skillfully blend elements of mystery and everyday life in depictions of a spooky nighttime forest and glowing-eyed lion or of village children walking to school. Her luminous, almost electric indigos and golds suggest not only exotic climes but the magic of the text."
Publishers Weekly, Starred
"Readers-aloud and storytellers will appreciate Mollel's fresh take on this oft-interpreted tale." The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
"The marriage of a poignantly written tale with sophisticated artwork revitalizes a time-honored story." School Library Journal, Starred
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..Linda Saport has illustrated many distinctive picture books, amoung them Subira Subira by Tololwa M. Mollel and All the Pretty Little Horses: A Lullaby. She lives in Boulder, Colorado.