Madiba magic

By Nelson Mandela

Book Overview

Nelson Mandela's Favorite African Folktales is a cause for celebration, landmark work that gathers in one volume many of Africa's most cherished folktales. Mandela, a Nobel Laureate for Peace, has selected these thirty-two tales with the specific hope that Africa's oldest stories, as well as a few new ones, be perpetuated by future generations and be appreciated by children throughout the world. In these "beloved stories, morsels rich with the gritty essence of Africa," we meet, among many others, a Kenyan lion named Simba, a snake with seven heads and a trickster from Zulu folklore; we hear the voices of the scheming hyena and learn from a Khoi fable how animals acquired their tails and horns. Several creation myths tell us how the land, its animals, and its people all came into existence under a punishing sun or against the backdrop of a spectacularly beautiful mountain landscape. Whether warning children about the dangers of disobedience or demonstrating that the underdog can and often does; win, these stories, through their depiction of wise animals as well as evil monsters, are "universal in their portrayal of humanity, beasts, and the mystical." What is particularly exciting about this book is that many of the stories, in their oral form, are almost as old as Africa itself. Most of them were, in fact, first told in various African tongues around evening fires in centuries past; tales from, for example, the San and the Khoi, the original hunter-gatherers and livestock herders of Southern Africa. Translated into English and other European languages chiefly in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries from their original languages; be they Karanga, Nguni, Xhosa, or one of many others; these folktales are a testament to the craft of storytelling and the power of myth. Accompanied by dozens of enchanting, specially commissioned color paintings, Nelson Mandela's Favorite African Folktales ; culled from African countries as far-flung as Morocco, Nigeria, Uganda, and Kenya; presents a fountain of precious knowledge that will be treasured by children, as well as adults, for years to come.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0393052125
• ISBN13: 9780393052121
• Release Date: November 2002
• Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company
• Length: 144 Pages
• Weight: 2.19 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 10.5" x 10.8"
• Age Range: 8 to 12 years
• Grade Range: Grades 3 to 7

Customer Reviews

This Grammy-nominated audiobook is truly amazing

This audiobook is nominated for a Grammy and has won awards. The story readings on this audiobook are phenomenal and your purchase supports children in South Africa in Africa orphaned by AIDS. The readings are done by numerous remarkable actors including Gillian Anderson, Benjamin Bratt, Don Cheadle, Matt Damon, Whoopi Goldberg, Sean Hayes, Samuel L. Jackson, LaTanya Richardson Jackson, Debra Messing, Helen Mirren, Parminder Nagra, Sophie Okonedo, CCH Pounder, Alan Rickman, Jurnee Smollett, Charlize Theron, Blair Underwood, Forest Whitaker, and Alfre Woodard with a message from Desmond Tutu and music by Johnny Clegg and Vusi Mahlasela.

great buy!

I bought this book for my newborn and I recommend it for children of all ages. The stories are great tales to share with your family. They are even entertaining for adults. I highly recommend this book.

fabulous....

These stories are delightful, the illustrations are superb...I bought a copy for my grand-daughter, and was so enthralled that I ordered a second copy for me!

Simply Lovely

The stories are rich and full of life. Storytelling lives on...thank you!