After
having the honour last year of reading stories for children (courtesy of the
Golden Baobab), I realised that I really did not pay enough attention to Children’s
Literature. While I was thinking of a way to rectify that, a few months ago
Kate Iffy Chukwu contacted me asking if I would review her new collection of
stories for children. Her request could not have come at a better time.
A Week of Tortoise Tales is a collection
of seven short stories, which can be told over the course of the week. The inspiration
for this book, which Kate Iffy Chukwu explains at the beginning of the book, is
clearly remembering her grandmother’s night-time stories about the tortoise –
clever, greedy, silly, or tricky. She writes:
‘In A Week of Tortoise Tales, I have kept to the oral tradition of storytelling while also making it relevant for modern young readers and listeners. Older children will find the tales fascinating. Parents and grandparents will also find the tales appealing to share with children of all ages. These short and simple tales are just right for everyone’.
Each story is described as ‘five minutes of fun!’ and boy are they fun.
On
Monday, tortoise learns to fly purely because he ‘was bored. He wanted to do
something exciting’. On Tuesday, Tortoise was hungry and helps himself to some
sizzling stew made by goat. Sadly on Wednesday, Tortoise was very sad as his
cousin was getting married soon and ‘he had no money for a good outfit’. But
clever Tortoise finds a way to get some money. By Thursday, Tortoise decides he
is not going to play any more tricks, but come Friday, Tortoise finds himself
in another competition. On Saturday, tortoise seems to be getting fatter and
fatter thanks to his secret magic tree and on Sunday, Tortoise tries to help
catch a thief in the animals’ farm. The book ends with a blank page where
children can draw their own tortoise or favourite animal. In between the
stories, there are fun and interactive questions – some based on the stories
themselves and others on more broader themes raised in the stories, such as the
kindest thing ever done, an important lesson learnt today and so on.
Honestly,
the idea of a story a night for the week is brilliant. I also love the
illustration. I know its meant for kids, but I really enjoyed reading it and
finding out what tortoise was up to. I even gave it to my mum and asked her to
read it – as she used to read bedtime stories to us so I wanted to know what
she thought – and she really enjoyed it as well. Now all Kate Iffy Chukwu needs
to do is publish Another Week of Tortoise Tales.
