Sosu's Call Book

A winning story about tolerance and courage from Ghanaian author/illustrator Meshack Asare. Young Sosu is physically challenged and often looked down upon in his small fishing village who fear he will anger the spirits with his presence. Loved by his family, and especially his faithful dog, Sosu still languishes without being able to attend school or find meaningful ways to contribute to the village. Until one day when his village begins to flood. The able-bodied members of the village are away working in the fields or at the neighboring village, leaving only those too weak or young to get away on their own as the water rises. Sosu has forever been told what he cannot or should not do, but now he must rise above his physical challenges to save the village that shunned him.

I found Asare's story compelling and inspiring. It would be a good choice to share with children facing physical challenges, or even children who do not have physical challenges but need to be made aware that those who may seem "disabled" are actually capable of many things, including acts of bravery and heroism.

I do wish that the publisher had seen fit to include more information on the author, or to ask for an author's note. I am glad the book is available to US audiences, but I wanted to know more about the inspiration behind the story, more details about the setting, etc. I assume it is pure fiction, but it would still have been nice to explain more about the culture and religion of the village (i.e., why they feared evil spirits) and provide some geographic information, too.