"Why the Sky is Far Away: A Nigerian Folktale"

by Mary-Joan Gerson

Publishers Weekly :

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This understated narrative, adapted from a Nigerian pourquoi story, informs readers that the preservation of the earth's limited resources lies firmly in human hands. Dazzling, boldly hued illustrations--verdant flora, jet-black figures garbed in pinks and yellows--strikingly capture the carefree spirit of an Africa when an edible, delicious sky was a source of sustenance: ``Men and women did not have to sow crops and harvest them. Anybody who was hungry just reached up, took a piece of sky, and ate it.' Such luxury led to waste, however, and an angry sky threatened to withdraw its gift. For a time the people were ``very, very careful,' until one day a woman's greed brought an end to this idyllic life. Gerson's informative text may strike some as a bit prosaic, but it is aided by a wondrous premise--and by the intriguing fact that this timely message springs from a 500-year-old story. Though the characters in Golembe's primitive artwork possess the somewhat static look of etchings, they nonetheless exude intense emotion and vitality. Brightly painted textual borders, alive with native symbols, provide an additional enticing touch. Ages 4-8.
Copyright 1992 Cahners Business Information, Inc.
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School Library Journal :
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K-Gr 3-- This pourquoi tale, first told 500 years ago by the Bini tribe of Nigeria, has a topical message that is accessible to children without being heavy-handed. ``In the beginning,' the sky was so close to the earth that anyone who was hungry could just reach up, take a piece, and eat it. The sky was delicious, tasting sometimes of meat stew, sometimes of roasted corn. But the people grew careless with the sky's gifts, taking more than they needed to satisfy their hunger. The sky grew angry, threatening to withhold its gifts if the people continued to waste them. True to its promise, the sky moved far away, and the Bini were forced to plow the fields and hunt the forest. Golembe's striking illustrations deepen and enrich this simple tale, adding immensely to the book's appeal. Using a strong, sure line and a palette of deep, vibrant colors, she evokes a timeless African landscape, resonating both the mythic and contemporary themes. The symbolic qualities of the story are strengthened by a deceptively simple composition and the weight of the flat, stylized figures, done in dense, pure black. An eye-catching choice for folklore or picture book collections, and especially useful in supplementing multicultural and ecological curricula. --Linda Boyles, Alachua County Library District, Gainesville, FL
Copyright 1992 Cahners Business Information, Inc.
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Review
: Booklist :
From Booklist, Sept. 1992, Copyright © American Library Association. Used with permission.
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Ages 4-8. A very old pourquoi tale of the Bini people of Nigeria has a contemporary theme. Long ago the sky was very close to the earth. Anyone who was hungry just reached up and took a piece of sky, and it was delicious; there was meat stew and pineapple, roasted corn and watermelon. People didn't need to work hard, and they spent their time weaving and carving and playing music. But the people were wasteful, and the sky, angry at being thrown in garbage dumps, warned the great Bini king, the Oba, that the people must take no more than they needed. The powerful Oba sent messengers across the land with the sky's warning, and everyone was careful for a while--except for one woman who was never satisfied. Using Nigerian folk motifs, Golembe's simple, theatrical illustrations combine monotype prints and collages in brilliant colors. The strong black figures are set against a dense blue sky of plenty that holds a rainbow of fruits and riches like a fireworks display. With its playfulness and drama, this is a fine book for story hour, especially in an ecology program. (Reviewed Aug. 1992)¾: Hazel Rochman.
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