The Magic Tree: A Folktale from Nigeria

By T. Obinkaram Echewa

Book Overview

Children will cheer for Mbi, an orphan boy who lives in a Nigerian village, when he teaches the villagers a lesson they'll never forget. Overworked and mistreated, Mbi gets only scraps when it's time to eat. Then one day a magical fruit tree grows just for him, and, using his wits, Mbi makes sure that he'll never be treated badly again. Nigerian-born author T. Obinkaram Echewa's accomplished story telling and E.B. Lewis's evocative paintings give this engaging tale timeless appeal.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0688162312
• ISBN13: 9780688162313
• Release Date: June 1999
• Publisher: HarperCollins
• Length: 32 Pages
• Weight: 0.75 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.4" x 8.0" x 10.0"
• Age Range: 4 years and up
• Grade Range: Preschool and higher

Customer Reviews

Much to talk about...

A great story to read aloud to a class. The similarities to a Cinderella story lead to great discussion about how this story is different, and why it may be different. Use to discuss how you can discover the meaning of unfamiliar words (in this case many are Nigerian) using illustrations, patterns in the text, and surrounding sentences. The illustrations are beautiful and the lessons of community are excellent for starting many important classroom discussions.