Customer Reviews

Jaha and Jamil Went Down the Hill: An African Mother Goose

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This book was wonderful. I read it for a group of students and they were spell-bound to say the least. It is good to know that quality, authentic multicultural literature is being published.

Here are some lovely, creative and fun rhymes on an African theme based on Mother Goose rhymes. My 15-month old daughter enjoys the rhymes and the drawings--each page representing a different country. There are a few minor cultural inaccuracies, but overall, it nicely represents the diversity of Africa. I gave the book a rating of four stars instead of five primarily b/c the drawings are not especially striking or engaging. However, the pictures are colorful and depict many animals, plants as well as traditional dress of African people. A nice book to add to your child's library, and great poems to add to your repertoire!

I think this is a wonderful book. I use the rhymes in this book to replace Mother Goose rhymes with my 3-year old son. We read the book together, and he enjoys the pictures as well as the rhymes. Most of the rhymes in this book are gentle, kind, and educational. Some of my favorites are Rock-a-bye-baby, Ring Around the Sand Dune, Jaha and Jamil Went Down the Hill, and Bend a Wire. Since we've been learning things together about Africa in videos and other books, it's been fun to see some of them also represented here. I've given this book to several of my friends for their children. It would be fun to have more books like this with rhymes about other places in the world as well.

The children's picture book, Jaha and Jamil Went Down the Hill: An African Mother Goose, a wonderful collection of Mother Goose nursery rhymes, can be enjoyed by anyone. These traditional stories are popular that all American readers will recognize, but the words have been Africanized. This book is also organized by country, featuring a different country on every page with an illustration that depicts that country's geographic landscape.
This book is fun for every age because most Americans grow up hearing these familiar Mother Goose nursery rhymes. When Kroll decided to alter Mother Goose's rhymes, she gave an entry way for readers to experience Africa. This book is a fun and enjoyable way to learn about the African culture. The rhymes are just as catchy as the originals. These rhymes also have native African words and pictures that sum up the vast continent. The illustrations are very vivid so it makes Africa come alive. The illustrations also give a fantastic geographical summary of each country. With these nursery rhymes and illustrations, this book will bring together the culture and spirit of Africa for all readers.

I so wanted to like this book more than I do. For one thing, we are big into poetry in our family and are always on the look-out for interesting poems. And for another thing, we are doing an Africa study unit. BUT, to put it bluntly, the poetry in this book is a little uneven. Sometimes the rhyme and idea is good, and sometimes both are a little lame.

For example, the title poem.

Jaha and Jamil went down the hill
To fetch a pail of water.
They med Atu and Siwatu
And Asha with her daughter.

In my opinion (as gaged from my children's reactions-boy and girl, 4 and 6) meeting people is just not as interesting as falling down a hill and breaking your crown.

So for us this poem and others just didn't work. But some did. Take "Taleh, Taleh". My children really took to this poem which didn't sound quite so forced.

Taleh, Taleh needed water
For her thirsty little daughter.
Put it in an ostrich shell
And there she kept it very well.

Three Stars. Artwork is nice. Some poems work and some seem alittle contrived and forced. At this price it would be an affordable addition to the home shelves, but don't expect every poem to be a `winner'.