Seaching the sky for a familiar star, an old man encounters a mysterious boy, Kileken. As he comes to love the boy as a son, he agrees to let him keep the one thing he owns: a secret.
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Book Description
Editorial Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
PW praised the "richly textured paintings" and "compelling" plot of this magical fable set in Africa. Ages 5-8.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From School Library Journal
Grade 2-4-- In this story, as in tales of the "Magic Tree," the "Crane Wife," or the "Selkie," a magic creature takes human shape and showers good fortune on a man until the stranger's secret being is revealed and the alien departs. In this legend from the Maasai, a star takes the shape of a young orphan boy, bringing comfort, companionship, and bounty to an impoverished herdsman. The old man dotes on his mysterious "son" but, overcome by curiosity and urged on by an unnamed shadow figure, he discovers how the boy turns the harsh, dry land into green pasture. His secret powers discovered, the boy returns to the sky, to appear again as the planet Venus, the morning star. This ancient myth, told to Mollel by his grandfather, is accompanied by magnificent oil paintings of Africa in which the colorfully clad old tribesman and the lush green grassland contrast with pictures of arid, sun-drenched plains, baked dry by heat and drought. The design is beautiful, with a narrow border of beadwork providing a continuous link through the pages, and with dark endpapers featuring a shadowy block print providing a frame for the whole tale. Usable with other myths or legends, as a story of youth and age, as a window into an African culture, or for the sheer beauty of the illustrations, this is a book that will widen the world of its readers. --Shirley Wilton, Ocean County College, Toms River, NJ
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent story on how Venus came to be,
By A Customer
This review is from: The Orphan Boy (Hardcover)
Orphan Boy combines the values of character and responsibility. The Orphan Boy must make several critical decisions throughout the story.The pictures are absolutely stunning. The ending is a complete surprise but still plausible. A great book for grades three and up.
5.0 out of 5 stars
An enthralling folktale that respects and honors the traditions of the Maasai people,
By Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The Orphan Boy: Revised (Hardcover)
Now available in a beautiful new edition, The Orphan Boy is a children's picturebook retelling of a legend of the Maasai people about the origin of the planet Venus (which shines so brightly it can easily be seen in the night sky with the naked eye). The Maasai call Venus Kileken, "the orphan boy". The text of The Orphan Boy recounts the legend in detail, at a reading level suitable for young people who are just about ready for chapter books, and ten additional paintings have been added to the captivating color artwork. An enthralling folktale that respects and honors the traditions of the Maasai people, The Orphan Boy is highly recommended, especially for children's public library collections.
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Inside This Book
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First Sentence:
As he had done every night of his life, the old man gazed deep into the heavens. Read the first page New!
Concordance | Text Stats Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | First Pages | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
As he had done every night of his life, the old man gazed deep into the heavens. Read the first page New!
Concordance | Text Stats Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | First Pages | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
Citations (learn more)
16
books
cite this book:
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- Folktale Themes and Activities for Children, Volume 1: Pourquoi Tales by Anne Kraus on 4 pages
- Voices of the Other: Children's Literature and the Postcolonial Context (Children's Literature and Culture) by Roderick McGillis on page 34, page 35, and page 37
- Educating African Canadians (Our Schools) by Keren S. Brathwaite on page 157, and page 166
- How to Make Your Child a Reader for Life by Paul Kropp on page 31, and Back Matter
- The Beanstalk and Beyond: Developing Critical Thinking Through Fairy Tales by Joan M. Wolf in Back Matter
See all 16 books citing this book
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