Folktales from many lands Book

Class 3- Traditional Literature
Fable

Martin, Francesca. Clever Tortoise (2000). Francesca Martin wrote and illustrated the traditional African tale Clever Tortoise. The decorative borders were designed and painted by Lucy Ingrams. The story begins and reads as if someone is telling a story to a group. It immediately catches your attention when you first read the word, "Listen!" The fable begins by describing the setting of the lake Nyasa and the characters that live there some of which include Rabbit, Warthog, Lizard, Hippopotamus, Snake, Elephant, Chungu the little black aunt and the Clever Tortoise. The story starts with a quarrel. First Elephant and Hippo bully the other small animals about their size. Clever Tortoise who is small but wise comes up with a plan to trick them. The other animals help! After a game of tug of war and a shocking defeat by the Clever Tortoise, Elephant and Hippo are left stunned while the other animals rejoice. The quarrel has ended and the animals are happy again. The colors and illustrations are stunning! They breathe life into the tale of the Clever Tortoise. The details are remarkable and yet not overwhelming to the eye. My favorite depiction was the pages that illustrate the tug of war, absolutely amazing to look at! I enjoyed this tale and was pleasantly surprised I hadn't heard a version like this before. This book has a target audience of 4-10 years of age.