Tag Archives: Fairytale

The Secret of the Purple Lake

AGES 8 - 12, BOOK REVIEW, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Title: The Secret of the Purple Lake

Author: Yaba Badoe

Publisher: Cassava Republic Press, 2017

Number of pages: 122

Type of Book: Short stories, fiction, adventure, myths and legend.

Genre: Middle Grade

Age: 8 – 12

Buy it here: The Bookworm Café; https://cassavarepublic.biz/product/the-secret-of-the-purple-lake/ ; https://www.amazon.com/Secret-Purple-Lake-Yaba-Badoe/dp/1911115316   

Price: N1800, N1500; $3.99

MY SUMMARY

The Secret of the Purple Lake is a collection of five interwoven, wildly adventurous stories set in the roaring seas and disappearing castles of Africa and Europe (think Ghana, Spain) and featuring characters with mythical origins and magical powers. It begins with the story of Ajuba, a young girl in Ghana who must undertake a perilous journey under the sea to recover her dead father’s bones and bring them home.

THUMBS UP AND DOWN

UP: This was a very exciting read for me for many reasons. First of all, I am a fan of stories with magic and adventure. Two, I had never read a short story collection quite like it. The craft element I found really appealing was the weaving together of several stories and this was not done in the form of parallel stories but using stories that happened through the span of two centuries. The major highlight was trying to discover how the stories were linked. Other highlights included the story of the fish-man, a scary creature with the body of a man and the head of a fish, Imoro the magic elephant, the walrus prince and of course, the Eagle-Queen. The characters are immediately likeable or totally despicable. I also absolutely loved the use of lyrical language.

‘Flying within the clouds is like dancing on vapour and gliding above them feels like kissing the Sun.’”

DOWN:  When I picked it up, I assumed it was a middle grade adventure (that is, one story and not a collection of stories) so when I started reading the first story, I felt cheated many times because I felt the writer was in a hurry and therefore wasted the opportunity to clearly describe things to me in a way that would make me connect more to her story. By the time I got to the end of the first story I was a bit puzzled, I felt like I had just read the outline of a middle grade adventure rather than a full-fledged short story.

RATING

🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟

HAVE FUN WITH THIS BOOK

  1. Watch the author read from the book here:

CHALLENGE: The Secret of the Purple Lake

CREATE (WRITE a Story/Poem OR DRAW)

  1. Write three interwoven stories.  (500 words each)

Send your answers to ugochinyelu.anidi@gmail.com.

Entry requirements: Entrants must be within the 8 – 12 age range. The first correct entry will be announced on this page and will win a copy of this book.

Answers must be submitted before 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, June 27th 2021.

Next Book of the Week:

JUBA AND THE FIREBALL by Yejide Kilanko

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Holes

13+, AGES 8 - 12, BOOK REVIEW, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Title: Holes

Author: Louis Sachar

Publisher:  Bloomsbury Publishing

Number of pages: 233 

Type of Book: Middle Grade, Fairytale, Folktale, Adventure, Mystery. 

Age: 10+

Buy it here: https://www.amazon.com/Holes-Louis-Sachar/dp/0440414806/ref=pd_sbs_1?pd_rd_w=T5aro&pf_rd_p=965b754e-4670-4322-863d-d4929773ec49&pf_rd_r=KGQV70T7HK8VM5JYXH37&pd_rd_r=17b1b8b7-2dcc-45ab-8e21-fe1cfd2bfdb0&pd_rd_wg=HdnfV&pd_rd_i=0440414806&psc=1 and @thebookwormcafeng on Instagram.

Price: $ 8.49 or N3000

MY SUMMARY

Stanley Yelnats and all his family members have bad luck, it is so bad that Stanley ends up in a juvenile detention centre in the middle of the desert for a crime he didn’t commit. At Camp Green, he must dig holes every day under the hot sun: back-breaking and totally boring stuff until he finds a tube of lipstick in one of his holes and then he goes after a runaway. Then, the adventure begins. The author goes back and forth between three stories: Stanley’s story, a fairytale and a folktale, spinning a thrilling, humorous and powerful story about friendship, crime and punishment.

THUMBS UP AND DOWN

UP: I enjoyed this book as a reader and a writer! The reader in me LOVED the parallel stories; one contemporary, one fairy tale and one folk tale, each with its own fair share of excitement, adventure and suspense. The deadly yellow-spotted lizard, “Kissing Kate” the outlaw, the search for the treasure, and the warden (this woman slapped someone with a snake’s venom) were some of the highlights of the book. This book is a must read for children and adults alike!!

For Ugo, the writer, the highlight was the parallel structure and how all three stories tied up neatly in the end. Just wondering how they were connected and trying to figure it out added to the mystery of the book. Sachar is a wonderful writer with the power to thrill with words. The blend of fairy tale, fantasy, adventure, mystery, humour, folktale and realism in on package is mind-blowing. It is a great mentor text for parallel narratives.   

DOWN: Nada …

RATING

🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟

HAVE FUN WITH THIS BOOK

  1. Read an excerpt here: https://www.npr.org/books/titles/204896601/holes 

CHALLENGE: Holes

CREATE (WRITE a Story/Poem OR DRAW)

  1. Write a 1,000-word story with 2 parallel stories.

Send your answers to ugochinyelu.anidi@gmail.com.

Entry requirements: Entrants must be within the 10 – 12 age range. The first correct entry will be announced on this page and will win a copy of this book.

Answers must be submitted before 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, February 7th 2021.

Next Book of the Week:

MEANWHILE BACK AT THE RANCH by Trinka Hakes Noble

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Jack and the Beanstalk

AGES 0 - 4, BOOK REVIEW, Uncategorized, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

jack-and-the-beanstalk-a-touch-and-feel-book-

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Title: Jack and the Beanstalk

Author: Retold by Vera Southgate

Publisher: Ladybird/Ladybird Tales

Number of pages: 10/47

Type of Book: Fiction; Fairytale

Age: 0 – 4

Available here: http://www.learnington-ng.com/literature/220-jack-and-the-beanstalk-a-touch-and-feel-book-.html; https://www.laternabooks.com/laterna_product_details.php?v=12878&c=111; https://www.amazon.co.uk/Jack-Beanstalk-Ladybird-Touch-Fairy/dp/1409304515; Free Download here: https://learnenglishkids.britishcouncil.org/sites/kids/files/attachment/stories-jack-and-the-beanstalk-transcript-final-2012-09-21.pdf

Price: N1000; N650; 2.80GBP

MY SUMMARY

Jack, a poor little boy lived with his mother on a farm. One day, his mother sent him to the market to sell their most prized possession, a cow. Jack however, traded the cow for some bean seeds. His poor mother, angry at the boy, threw the beans out the widow and sent the boy to sleep. The following morning, a beanstalk that reached far into the sky had grown right outside the window. Jack climbed up the stalk into the sky to find a beautiful castle in the clouds, a golden goose that laid golden eggs and a harp that played itself. Read the story to find out what happened when the owner of the castle, a giant, caught Jack trying to run away with his prized possessions.

One of the most popular lines from the story is the giant’s, “Fee, Fi, Fo, Fum!”

THUMBS UP AND DOWN

UP: This is a great introduction to the world of fairytales. Jack’s story is a great adventure story that all kids will love. It’s a board book so it’s sturdy and will survive bites, spills and dunks in water. I recommend this book for all kids aged 0 to 4! Older kids can read this too.

DOWN: None

RATING

4.5 Stars.

TRIVIA

  1. This story was first told over 5,000 years ago.

HAVE FUN WITH THIS BOOK

  1. Read the story here: https://learnenglishkids.britishcouncil.org/sites/kids/files/attachment/stories-jack-and-the-beanstalk-transcript-final-2012-09-21.pdf
  2. Listen to the story here: http://learnenglishkids.britishcouncil.org/en/short-stories/jack-and-the-beanstalk
  3. Read the play here: http://www.grandviewlibrary.org/ReadersTheater/JackBeanstalk/JackBeanStalk.pdf
  4. Activities here: http://www.penguinreaders.com/pdf/downloads/pyr/factsheets/9780582428591.pdf
  5. Watch a video here:

CHALLENGE: JACK AND THE BEANSTALK

CREATE (WRITE a Story/Poem OR DRAW)

  1. Draw and colour the picture of the beanstalk on the cover of the book (4 year olds)

OR

  1. Identify and colour Jack (2-3 year olds)

https://pintsizedbookworms.files.wordpress.com/2016/06/703e4-jack-and-the-beanstalk.jpg

Send your answers to ugochinyelu.anidi@gmail.com

Entry requirements: Entrants must be within the 2 – 4 age range. The first correct entry will be announced on this page and will win a copy of this book.

Answers must be submitted before 12:00am on Tuesday, June 8th 2016.

Next Book of the Week:

THE LITTLE BLUE COW by Thecla Ojeifo

 

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

The Gingerbread Man

AGES 0 - 4, BOOK REVIEW, , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Title: The Gingerbread Man

Author: Ladybird

Publisher: Ladybird

Number of pages: 10

Type of Book: Fiction; Fairytale

Age: 0 – 4

Available here: http://www.learnington-ng.com/activity/17-touch-and-feel-book-gingerbread-man.html; https://www.amazon.co.uk/Gingerbread-Man-Ladybird-Touch-Fairy/dp/1409304469

Price: N1000; 5.99GBP

MY SUMMARY

Imagine it’s your daughter’s birthday and you’ve just baked the perfect Disney princess cake for her. Then as soon as you open the oven, ZOOM!!! the Princess cake jumps off the pan and dashes out of your kitchen. Impossible right? Not in this book. In this book, an old lady baked a gingerbread cookie in the shape of a man and as soon as she opened the oven to take it out, the cookie got up and took off. The old lady gave chase, followed by her husband, then a pig, a cow, and a horse but the cookie refused to be caught and eaten. Read the book to find out what became of the gingerbread man!

THUMBS UP AND DOWN

UP: This is a great book for toddlers! It introduces kids to the wonderful world of fairy tales! It has vibrant illustrations and different touch and feels on every page to introduce your toddler to textures. I recommend this book for all kids aged 0 to 4! It’s a board book so it’s sturdy and will survive bites, spills and dunks in water.

DOWN: I didn’t like the end.

RATING

4.5 Stars.

TRIVIA

  1. This story was first published in 1875![1]

HAVE FUN WITH THIS BOOK

  1. Read the story here: http://www.enchantedlearning.com/stories/folktale/gingerbreadman/story/
  2. Create your own Gingerbread Man story book here: http://www.enchantedlearning.com/stories/folktale/gingerbreadman/story/print.shtml

CHALLENGE: The Gingerbread Man

CREATE (WRITE a Story/Poem OR DRAW)

  1. Draw and colour the gingerbread man on the cover of the book (4 year olds)

OR

  1. Identify and colour the Gingerbread Man (2-3 year olds)

http://www.supercoloring.com/sites/default/files/styles/coloring_medium/public/cif/2015/11/christmas-gingerbread-man-coloring-page.png

Send your answers to ugochinyelu.anidi@gmail.com

Entry requirements: Entrants must be within the 2 – 4 age range. The first correct entry will be announced on this page and will win a copy of this book.

Answers must be submitted before 12:00am on Tuesday, May 17th 2015.

Next Book of the Week:

GOLDILOCKS AND THE THREE BEARS

 

 

 

 

 

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Gingerbread_Man

 

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

The Three Little Pigs

AGES 0 - 4, BOOK REVIEW, , , , , , , , , , , ,

Title: The Three Little Pigs

Author: Janet Brown

Publisher: Armadillo Books

Number of pages: 24

Type of Book: Fiction; Classic; Fairytale

Age: 0 – 4

Available here: https://www.laternabooks.com/laterna_product_details.php?v=13019&c=111; https://www.amazon.co.uk/Three-Little-Pigs-First-Reading/dp/1861473966?ie=UTF8&*Version*=1&*entries*=0

Price: N700; 3.99GBP

MY SUMMARY

Enter the big bad wolf! In this retelling of the classic fairytale, three little pigs try to save themselves from the big bad wolf. The first two pigs make houses of straw and wood respectively and are eaten by the wolf who huffs and puffs and destroys their houses before eating them. The third little pig however outsmarts the wolf. Read the book to find out/remember how the third little pig escaped the big bad wolf and what became of the wolf.

THUMBS UP AND DOWN

UP: This is a great book. Using lively illustrations and simple diction, it encourages children to read. The icing on the cake? It also teaches children to write and observe. It features some writing exercises and games (like spot-the-difference)! I recommend this book for all kids aged 0 to 4!

DOWN: None!!!

RATING

4 Stars.

TRIVIA

  1. The original fairytale is over a hundred years old! The first printed version was made in the 1840s![1]

HAVE FUN WITH THIS BOOK

  1. Read the story here: http://grundschule.bildung-rp.de/fileadmin/user_upload/grundschule.bildung-rp.de/Downloads/Fremdsprachen/Unterrichtsbeispiele/three_little_pigs/Material-Fairytales.pdf
  2. Watch a video here:

CHALLENGE: The Three Little Pigs

CREATE (WRITE a Story/Poem OR DRAW)

  1. Identify 3 plants and 3 animals in the picture (4 year olds)

http://www.hellokids.com/c_4781/coloring-pages/disney-coloring-pages/three-little-pigs-coloring-pages/fifer-fiddler-and-edmund-scare-the-wolf

OR

  1. Identify and colour the pigs (2-3 year olds)

http://www.hellokids.com/c_4781/coloring-pages/disney-coloring-pages/three-little-pigs-coloring-pages/fifer-fiddler-and-edmund-scare-the-wolf

Send your answers to ugochinyelu.anidi@gmail.com

Entry requirements: Entrants must be within the 2 – 4 age range. The first correct entry will be announced on this page and will win a copy of this book.

Answers must be submitted before 12:00am on Tuesday, May 10th 2015.

Next Book of the Week:

THE GINGERBREAD MAN by Ladybird

 

 

 

 

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Three_Little_Pigs

 

The Little Mermaid

AGES 4 - 8, BOOK REVIEW, , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

The-Little-Mermaid-304x450

51jPSXcTt5L._SX322_BO1,204,203,200_

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Title: The Little Mermaid

Author: Hans Christian Andersen

Publisher: Usborne Publishing/ Hythloday
Press

Number of pages: 48/80

Type of Book: Fiction; Classic

Age: 4 – 8

Buy it here:

http://product.chelisbookazine.com/product/the-little-mermaid-young-reading-series-1/; http://www.amazon.com/Little-Mermaid-Original-Illustrations/dp/0615963943/ref=sr_1_4?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1461935499&sr=1-4&keywords=the+little+mermaid; https://www.amazon.co.uk/Little-Mermaid-Young-Reading-Packs/dp/0746085338/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1461798575&sr=8-1-fkmr0&keywords=the+little+mermaid+suborn+young+reading+series+one;

Free Download here: http://hca.gilead.org.il/li_merma.html

Price: N580; $4.00

MY SUMMARY

The little mermaid, the last and the prettiest of the six daughters of the Sea-King, wants more than anything to rise out of the ocean and see the earth and humans! When finally gets the chance to rise out of the ocean on her fifteenth birthday, she stumbles upon a party on a ship and falls in love with the celebrant, a prince. Suddenly she desperately wants to exchange her fish tail for a pair of legs, to be human. Unbeknownst to her family, she visits the Sea-Witch who grants her wish, on one condition. Read the book to find out how she finally meets the Prince and if they lived happily every after.

THUMBS UP AND DOWN

UP: The original version of this story is replete with vital lessons for children. Young readers learn the advantages of being content, the consequences of disobedience, the importance of love and the soul, etc.

DOWN: The Disney version though it has a happier ending is a bit shallow compared to the original version.

RATING

5 Stars

TRIVIA

  1. This story has had at least three different versions with three different endings. In some versions, the prince marries someone else and the little mermaid dies of a broken heart, in the original version, the prince marries someone else and the little mermaid joins the ‘Daughters of the Air’, a group of ethereal spirits and in Disney’s version, she marries the prince and they live happily ever after!
  2. The little mermaid is called ‘the little mermaid in some versions, Melody in others and Ariel by Disney.
  3. In the story, the little mermaid had the finest voice in the world!

HAVE FUN WITH THIS BOOK

  • Watch a video here (Disney’s version):

CHALLENGE: The Little Mermaid

CREATE (WRITE a Story/Poem OR DRAW)

  1. Read the story here: http://hca.gilead.org.il/li_merma.html (version 1)

Answer the following questions (6-8 year olds)

  • How many sisters does the little mermaid have?
  • What did the little mermaid give to the Sea-Witch in exchange for a pair of legs?
  • Who are the Daughters of the Air?

OR

  1. Draw and colour the little mermaid (4-5 year olds)

Send your answers to ugochinyelu.anidi@gmail.com

Entry requirements: Entrants must be within the 4 – 8 age range. The first correct entry will be announced on this page and will win a copy of this book.

Answers must be submitted before 12:00am on Tuesday, May 3rd 2015.

Next Book of the Week:

THE TEMPEST by William Shakespeare

 

 

 

Afro: The Girl with the Magical Hair

AGES 4 - 8, BOOK REVIEW, Uncategorized, , , , , , , , , , ,

Afro---The-Girl-with-the-Magical-Hair-3677542_1

Title: Afro: The Girl with the Magical Hair

Author: Okechukwu Ofili

Publisher: Farafina Tuuti

Number of pages: 60

Type of Book: Fiction; African

Age: 5 – 8

Available here: https://www.konga.com/afro-the-girl-with-the-magical-hair-2087783

Price: N1000

MY SUMMARY

Imagine a kingdom filled with girls and women with pin-straight weaves: Yackiland. Imagine a girl in this kingdom with the biggest, fullest, curliest, afro; so huge that it could cause a hairclipse (yep! It could block out sunlight): Afro. Afro was bullied and or ignored by the female folk in Yackiland because she was different. Her hair wasn’t pin-straight like the Kanek weave, it grew upwards instead of downward and it was too thick! So she kept to herself, playing with her hair and reading books. Then one day, everything changed. The people of Kanek ran out of hair to sell to the Yackilanders. All of a sudden, people liked Afro and her hair, especially when they discovered that her hair was magical: it had healing powers.

But the evil queen wasn’t happy with the turn of events. She kidnapped Afro and hid her in a hole in the ground, determined to keep Afro’s magical hair and its healing powers to herself.

Then Prince came along …

Read this book to find out how Afro, Prince and all the Yackilanders escaped the clutches of the evil queen … if they did *smiles

THUMBS UP AND DOWN

UP: This is definitely the best AND the quirkiest adaptation of the fairytale ‘Rapunzel’ that I have ever read. It satisfies all the basic requirements for a classic fairytale: good guys, bad guys, magic, bad guys are justly rewarded and the good guys live happily ever after (except when Prince snored and Afro “accidentally” shocked him awake!)

I loved the illustrations too! Especially the one on page 51! (Now you have to buy the book to find out!)

Other highlights were Afro’s full name: OhMyGoodnessDidYouSeeThatGirlsAfro, then the hurray for Afro hair and the display of Ankara.

I recommend this book for kids who have read the fairytale ‘Rapunzel’, (they would appreciate the twists) and those who haven’t because it’s a great story nonetheless.

DOWN: None

RATING

4 Stars

TRIVIA

  1. How long was the evil queen’s hair? It was so long that it took a full minute for the hair to trail into a room behind her.    
  2. Afro’s full name?
  3. Why did people travel from all over Yackiland to see Afro? To see her magical hair and experience its healing power.
  4. What was the secret to Afro’s hair? A mixture of natural oils and raw eggs.
  5. What weird ingredients went into the evil queen’s relaxer? Acid, baby tears, bleach, lizard tails, rotten eggs and snake eyes.
  6. How did Prince find Afro? He heard singing then rapping coming from the ground in the forest!

Bonus: One more thing about Afro’s hair: It had static electricity, it could shock people!

Read an excerpt here: http://ofilispeaks.com/afrobook/

CHALLENGE: Afro: The Girl with the Magical Hair

CREATE (WRITE OR DRAW)

  1. Write a 500-word adaptation of a well-known fairy tale.

OR

  1. Draw (and name) 2 similarities and 2 differences between Afro’s story and Rapunzel’s story.

Send your answers to ugochinyelu.anidi@gmail.com

Entry requirements: Entrants must be within the 5 – 8 age range. The first correct entry will be announced on this page and will win a copy of this book.

Answers must be submitted before 12:00am on Wednesday, December 9th 2015

Next Book of the Week:

MAYOWA AND THE MASQUERADES by Lola Shoneyin

NB (just for the mummies): Did you notice the ‘Kili Kili Star’ dress on the cover?

 

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

 

photo credit: amazon.com