Summary
In the middle of the night the world can seem huge andfrightening, especially when you've just moved far from home. On Abena and Kofi's first night in America, it is late and it is dark and they are up worrying. What if a giant lizard or a slender-snouted crocodile crawled into their suitcases? What if the people in their new school laugh at them? What if they forget Grandmother and their cousins, now that they are an ocean away?
But Abena knows a secret to help them. It is a secret that can make the world and the night seem small again. She reaches for her new flashlight and turns it on. She says to her little brother, Kofi, "Pretend this is the moon. Close your eyes." And then she begins ...
School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 2-An affecting story about family love and finding the courage to face new situations. Abena wakes to discover her younger brother, Kofi, in her bed. He can't sleep, afraid that a giant mampan lizard has followed him to America from Ghana. He's afraid, too, that he will forget the grandmother and cousins he left behind. Abena comforts him with two Ashanti tales. In the first, Anansi thinks he has collected all of the world's wisdom in a jar, only to learn that it can come from a young child. In the second tale, Vulture learns from slow-moving Turtle that, "When you think you are laughing at somebody else, that somebody turns out to be yourself-." Afterward, Abena confesses that she is worried about her new classmates. Kofi reminds her of Turtle's quiet perseverance, and the girl is impressed with her brother's wisdom, bringing home the stories' messages. Kofi finally falls asleep, comforted by his sister's assurance that they will always be a family, no matter where they live. The pastel illustrations are evocative and vibrant, capturing the warmth of Ghana and the cool darkness of nighttime in America. The juxtaposition of bordered and borderless art keeps the story-within-a-story format clear and easy to follow. A strong addition to any collection, this book is a must-buy for communities with African immigrant families.-Suzanne Myers Harold, Multnomah County Library System, Portland, OR (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Publisher's Weekly Review
In Kurtz's (Fire on the Mountain) reassuring bedtime tale, a girl puts her younger brother at ease in a strange place with stories from their homeland. It's their family's first night in America after emigrating from Ghana, and Abena's little brother, Kofi, won't let her sleep. To reassure Kofi and to regain her own sense of confidence, Abena tells two stories, one about Anansi, the other an Aesop-like fable. With each one, Isadora (Ben's Trumpet) shifts the setting from Abena's bedroom, bathed in the deep blue and lavender hues of night, to sunbaked landscapes of West Africa. The first story finds the trickster Anansi with worries of his own, which he tries to assuage by hoarding the world's wisdom in a pot; in the second, a determined turtle proves that no obstacle is too great when a friend is in need. Kurtz beautifully captures the way an age-old oral tradition emerges in the lilting, playful cadences of Abena's voice. "Don't worry," she says, when Kofi asks whether Anansi is going to play a trick on them. "If he is, we're ready. I'm very tricky, myself." But what really shines through, thanks to Isadora's velvety pastels, is the us-against-the-world bond between the siblings. Their physical ease with one another, and the warmth that passes back and forth between their dark eyes, make the old clich? ring true: home is where the heart is. Ages 5-up. (Jan.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Horn Book Review
Abena and her little brother, Kofi, take comfort in two folktales from their Ghanaian homeland as they face, with trepidation, their new life in America. Abena tells Kofi one tale involving Anansi and another about a turtle's perseverance. Vibrant illustrations shuttle between present reality and traditional scenes of Ghana and reinforce the siblings' closeness. (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. All rights reserved.
Kirkus Review
Using stories she heard from a friend from Ghana, Kurtz weaves them into a lovely story about wisdom and perseverance. Abena, Kofi, and their family have moved to America from Ghana. Kofi, frightened of the new adventures ahead, turns to his sister: " 'I can't sleep,' Kofi says. 'What if we forget Grandmother and our cousins now that we live in America?' Abena pats his head, 'Don't worry. I'll help us remember.' " So she begins to soothe the fears of her younger brother, using traditional African folktales as her technique. With the sure cadence of a true teller, Abena opens with an Anansi tale that begins with Anansi lying awake worrying like Kofi. A second story, of turtle's determination to stay with his friend eagle, finally does the trick. When Abena confesses that she too is sometimes afraid, Kofi turns the stories' morals back to her. Isadora's vibrant illustrations, drenched in color, capture the African settings, the folkloric animals, and the love between brother and sister--and they complete the enchantment. (Picture book 7-12) Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Booklist Review
PreS-Gr. 2. Kofi, newly arrived in the U.S., can't sleep in the scary night, so his older sister, Abena, comforts him with two folktales from back home in Ghana, stories in which the small and humble defeat the powerful. In one tale the trickster Anansi, who thinks he's very wise, collects wisdom from all the animals, but his small son shows him up. In the other, a slow, quiet turtle outwits a raucous, sneering vulture. No sources are cited, but Kurtz, who has lived in East and West Africa, heard the folktales from a Ghanaian friend, and she tells them with warmth and immediacy. Isadora's pleasing pastel illustrations show both the close, playful bond between the siblings and the distinctive personalities of the folktale characters. In a beautiful connection, Abena worries that the kids at her new school will jeer at her accent--and her little brother comforts her. --Hazel Rochman Copyright 2005 Booklist
