Aardema, Verna. Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People's Ears. Illustrated by Leo and Diane Dillon. Hong Kong: South China Printing, 1975.

This is a delightful West African tale about what can happen if you tell a tall tale. Mosquito tells a tall tale to Iguana. Iguana doesn't want to hear such nonsense so he plugs his ears with sticks. When Python greets Iguana, Iguana can't hear him. So Python believes that Iguana is planning mischief against him. This chain reaction of events continues throughout the forest, putting the animals in a state of unrest. Eventually the problem is resolved and the forest turns to normal. Although Mosquito learns her lesson, she possesses another bad habit. This is a fun story with colorful illustrations and a good lesson. Submitted by Laura Fitzgibbon

McDermott, Gerald. Anasi The Spider. New York: Henry Holt, 1972.

This is a tale of African folklore. Anansi is a folk-hero to the Ashanti, a long established culture from West Africa. They are located in the country of Ghana. In this tale Anansi becomes lost and encounters many troubles during his journey. Fortunately, Anansi has six sons, each of whom possesses a special talent. Together, all of the sons help rescue their father. Shortly after that, Anansi finds a great globe of light and decides he'll give it to the son that rescued him. However, Anansi can't decide which son to give it to. Anansi gives the white light to the God of All Things, who puts it into the sky. And so, this is how the moon came to be! This is an enjoyable tale, which illustrates the importance of cooperation and family. Submitted by Laura Fitzgibbon

Steptoe, John. Mufaro's Beautiful Daughters. New York: Lee & Shepard, 1987.

This is a modern fable of Africa. It is the story about Mufaro and his two daughters, Nyasha and Manyara. Both girls were very beautiful, but they each possessed very different qualities. Nyasha was kind, considerate, and humble while Manyara was very spoiled, selfish, and ill tempered. The King of Zimbabwe was looking for a wife and invited all of the worthy and beautiful daughters to his palace. Manyara wanted to make certain that she was chosen as the King's bride, and so she set out to the kingdom. However the wise king saw through Manyara and chose Nyasha to be queen instead. This story is ideal in that it illustrates good human characteristics and rewards them. Unfortunately, this is not always true in the real world. Submitted by Laura Fitzgibbon

• Uses for Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People's Ears and Anasi The Spider: These books can be used to introduce folklore and geography to the children. You can discuss what folk tales are and how they differ from place to place. You can ask the children to bring in a story that has been passed down in their family or from their culture and ask them to discuss where it originated and they can share their story with the class. Laura Fitzgibbon