Nelson Mandela's favorite African folktales

Book - 2002

A collection of traditional stories from different parts of Africa, featuring varied characters and themes--some familiar, some newer.

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j398.2096/Mandela
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Subjects
Genres
Folk tales
Published
New York : Norton 2002.
Language
English
Other Authors
Nelson Mandela, 1918-2013 (compiler)
Physical Description
143 p. : col. ill., col. map, music ; 28 cm
Bibliography
Includes bibliographical references.
ISBN
9780393052121
  • The enchanting song of the magical bird (Tanzania)
  • The cat who came indoors (Zimbabwe)
  • The great thirst (San, Southern Africa)
  • King Lion's gifts (Khoi, Southern Africa)
  • The message (Namibia)
  • The snake chief (West Africa/Zululand, South Africa)
  • How Hlakanyana outwitted the monster (Nguni, South Africa)
  • Words as sweet as honey from Sankhambi (Venda, South Africa)
  • Mmutla and Phiri (Botswana)
  • The lion, the hare, and the hyena (Kenya)
  • Mmadipetsane (Lesotho)
  • Kamiyo of the river (Transkei, South Africa)
  • Spider and the crows (Nigeria)
  • Natiki (Namaqualand, South Africa)
  • The hare and the tree spirit (Xhosa, South Africa)
  • The mantis and the moon (San, Southern Africa)
  • The snake with seven heads (Xhosa, South Africa)
  • The hare's revenge (Zambia)
  • The wolf queen (Cape Malay)
  • Van Hunks and the Devil (Cape Dutch)
  • Wolf and jackal and the barrel of butter (Cape Dutch)
  • The cloud princess (Swaziland)
  • The guardian of the pool (Central Africa/Zululand, South Africa)
  • The sultan's daughter (Cape Malay)
  • The ring of the king (Mythical African kingdom)
  • The clever snake charmer (Morocco)
  • Asmodeus and the bottle of djinns (South African English)
  • Sakunaka, the handsome young man (Zimbabwe)
  • The mother who turned to dust (Malawi)
  • Mpipidi and the motlopi tree (Botswana)
  • Fesito goes to market (Uganda)
  • Sannie Langtand and the visitor (South African English).
Review by Booklist Review

Gr. 6^-12, younger for reading aloud. From desert to jungle to veld and misty mountain, the African landscape plays a vital role in each of these 32 lively folktales, retold here with the rhythm and immediacy of the oral tradition. Most of the stories are from southern Africa, but even these are immensely varied (a Cinderella story from Namaqualand, a hare-and-hyena tale from Botswana, a Malay-Indian story from Cape Town). There are also several from other parts of the continent, including Morocco, Nigeria, and Uganda. The stories range from the lyrical San creation myth "The Mantis and the Moon," to sly trickster tales, silly farce, and a gruesome warning to disobedient children. Then there's a Xhosa tale about a snake with seven heads, retold by writer Gcina Mhlope. A brief note at the beginning of each story discusses its folklore motifs and probable origin. The vibrant, full-page color paintings by various contemporary illustrators range from folk art to computer graphics. Of course, the name in the title adds appeal; storytellers will want this. --Hazel Rochman

From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review

Nobel Peace laureate Mandela understandably gets top billing here, but this collection of short fables compiles writings and translations by numerous authors and features illustrations by a diverse collection of artists. Together, the tales and their accompanying artwork create a patchwork of legends drawn from all over the African continent, from Morocco to Kenya to Swaziland. Snakes with seven heads and Zulu tricksters are found here, as well as various creation myths and a Kenyan lion (with the familiar name of Simba) who teaches a cunning hyena a lesson. The colorful birds, giant elephants and mischievous children populating the volume teach sometimes cryptic lessons about obedience, perseverance, cooperation and the simple strangeness of life. In one story, the children of an East African village must destroy a beautiful and enchanting bird that has brought bad luck to the surrounding countryside. In another, a courageous girl frees a prince from the spell that made him a python. In tales such as these, the dream-like, unpredictable symbology and sometimes cruel morality of myths resonate, and, in Mandela's words, the "gritty essence of Africa" shines through in stories with universal themes. (Nov.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved

(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by Library Journal Review

South African hero Mandela chooses 32 African folktales, some predating Ovid, and decks them out with specially commissioned illustrations. (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by School Library Journal Review

Gr 1-5-Mandela states in the foreword, "It is my wish that the voice of the storyteller will never die in Africa-.," and he has chosen 32 traditional tales for this handsome oversized volume. While nearly half the selections have their origins in South Africa, the rest represent some of the continent's most cherished tales and come from Botswana, Swaziland, Malawi, Zimbabwe, and other sub-Saharan countries as well as a single selection from Morocco. Each story is introduced with a short provenance or source note, and a frontispiece map matches each tale with its geographical area. Told by a variety of storytellers and folklorists, or gleaned from previously published sources, the tellings vary from literary to contemporary. The book also provides a showcase for 18 illustrators, mostly from South Africa, who contributed one full-page illustration per story. This is a rich collection that would provide depth and breadth to any classroom study alongside the many single-tale picture-book editions readily found on library shelves.-Susan Hepler, Burgundy Farm Country Day School, Alexandria, VA (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review

Gathered from previously published anthologies, this collection of African folktales includes many stories from the different cultures of southern Africa; a few other African regions are also represented. The illustrations by South African artists vary in style and effectiveness; a short paragraph introduces each story, giving some background information. Glos. From HORN BOOK Fall 2003, (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.