The Great Tug of War [Paperback]

Beverley Naidoo (Author), Piet Grobler (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 7 and up | Grade Level: 1 and up

When Mmutla the hare tricks Tlou the elephant and Kubu the hippo into having an epic tug-of-war, the whole grassland is soon laughing at their foolishness. But big animals don’t like to be laughed at — especially by little animals. Soon King Lion, Tswhene the baboon, and the wise old tortoise Khudu set out to teach Mmutla a lesson. The hare is clever, but can he hop away from the comeuppance Tswhene has planned for him? Or is he too smart for his own good? Set against the vivid backdrop of the African savanna, these witty retellings by acclaimed children’s author Beverley Naidoo delight young readers while offering parents a fascinating glimpse into the origins of an American classic. Piet Grobler’s quirky, appealing illustrations underscore the narrative's wit and charm.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 3 Up—Naidoo retells eight stories from southern Africa that feature Mmutla the hare. The animals are named in Setswana, the native language of Botswana. The tales are well paced and easy to read aloud. "The Great Tug-of-War," in which Mmutla tricks Tlou the elephant and Kubu the hippo into a pulling contest against one another, and "Little Animals Should Not Make Fun of Big Animals!," which tells how he escapes his punishment for tricking them by breaking off his beautiful long tail, are both included in Hugh Tracey's The Lion on the Path (Praeger, 1968; o.p.). In "Does One Good Turn Deserve Another?"-similar to Suzanne Crowder Han's Korean tale, The Rabbit's Judgment (Holt, 1994; o.p.)-the hare helps a girl to escape from the crocodile whose life she has saved. In "The Race," a variation of "The Tortoise and the Hare," the boastful Mmutla is outsmarted by Khudu the tortoise, who reaches the finish line first by enlisting the help of his children, nieces, and nephews, each of whom runs a piece of the race to the water hole. "Horse and Toad," a Haitian tale retold by Diane Wolkstein in The Magic Orange Tree (Schocken, 1997) is a closer rendition of the same story, as is "Mr. Rabbit Finds His Match at Last" in Joel Chandler Harris's The Complete Tales of Uncle Remus (Houghton, 2002). Small pen-and-ink drawings appear throughout.—Susan Scheps, Shaker Heights Public Library, OH
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Review

Excellent to read aloud and accessible to independent young readers. Riveting Reads SLA

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 7 and up
  
• Paperback: 96 pages
• Publisher: Frances Lincoln Children's Books; 1 edition (June 9, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1845070550
• ISBN-13: 978-1845070557
• Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 5.7 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,628,316 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)