The Lion's Whiskers: An Ethiopian Folktale [Hardcover]

Nancy Raines Day (Author), Ann Grifalconi (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1995 | Age Level: 8 and up

An Ethiopian folktale follows a stepmother's dangerous quest in which she must pluck three whiskers from a fierce lion's chin in order to gain her stepson's trust, and is accompanied by bold collage illustrations by a Caldecott Honor-winning artist.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 3 Up?Day retells a folktale of Ethiopia's Amhara people in a readable manner that will appeal to both children and adults. A woman seeking the advice of a medicine man on how to win the love of her young stepson is told that she must pluck three whiskers from the chin of a fierce old lion. As she slowly earns the beast's trust, she learns the way to the boy's heart, as well. Day has elaborated upon the ending of the story as told in Russell Davis and Brent Ashabranner's The Lion's Whiskers (Little, 1959; o.p.), giving more life to the characters. Grifalconi's earth-toned collages provide a perfect window to the tale. Her careful use of plain and patterned papers of various textures, both cut and torn, results in an effective portrait of the desert?its ever-changing sands, oases, dunes, and rock formations. Pieces of fabric, parts of photographs (sometimes just a head, arm, hand, or leg attached to a body made of paper and cloth with face and hair drawn in), and tiny twigs, moss, and other natural materials add both artistic appeal and ethnic veracity. A surefire read-aloud and discussion-starter, accompanied by masterful artistic expression.?Susan Scheps, Shaker Heights Public Library, OH
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Ages 3-7. A loving stepmother is the main character in a folktale retold from the Amhara people of Ethiopia. Heartbroken because her stepson rejects her, Fanaye seeks help from a wise medicine man, who tells her to bring him three whiskers from the ferocious lion that prowls in the black-rock desert. Over many months, she tames the lion and learns from that experience how to tame the boy and make him need her and love her. The quest is exciting, and the emotions of mother and son are powerful. Children will recognize the boy's wild anger and his need for loving reconciliation. Grifalconi's collage illustrations in warm desert shades of brown and red make stunning use of photographs and all kinds of textured materials and colored papers, including folk patterns of woven cloth, wood, and beadwork--for example, the lion's whiskers are the whisks from a straw broom. The medicine man's cave jumps with wild combinations of shapes and shadows; in contrast is the stark desert view, wide and open, as the brave woman undertakes her quest into the wild. Hazel Rochman

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 8 and up
  
• Hardcover: 1 pages
• Publisher: Scholastic Trade (April 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0590458035
• ISBN-13: 978-0590458030
• Product Dimensions: 11.1 x 8.6 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,112,072 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Growing up, I spent many hours playing in the woods with my sisters, brother, and dog Puppy. We had our own town, Green Meadows, where I published a newspaper written on leaves with "ink" from squished berries and charged 25 cents in hickory nut money.

My family was not surprised when I decided to become a writer. After college, I wrote for newspapers and magazines.

When I started reading to my kids, I remembered how much I loved picture books and started writing my own. I wished on pennies in a wishing well, and ten years later, my first picture book, The Lion's Whiskers, came out.

Now, my sixth picture book, On a Windy Night, is being published. My husband and I live on an island, where I think up ideas while walking the beach and swimming in the ocean. One of my missions is to help today's kids connect with nature.