The Princess Who Lost Her Hair: An Akamba Legend (Legends of the World) [Paperback]

Tololwa M. Mollel (Author), Charles Reasoner (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1, 1998 | Age Level: 7 and up | Grade Level: 2 and up | Series: Legends of the World

When a proud, vain princess loses her most prized possession -- her beautiful hair -- she must learn generosity from a beggar boy and all the creatures on earth.

The Legends of the World opens readers' minds to the diverse cultures of Native America, Asia, Africa, the Caribbean, Eastern Europe, and the Americas through enchanting tales passed down through countless generations. Each book in the series features geographical, historical, and cultural information. Illustrated in full color.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 1-3-- This folktale from the Akamba people of East Africa concerns a vain princess whose refusal to give even a strand of her beautiful hair to a bird building a nest costs her her hair and her kingdom its livelihood. As famine descends upon the land, Muoma, a beggar boy, sets off to find the bird. For sharing his last food, water, and strength with an ant, a flower, and a mouse, respectively, he is rewarded, and subsequently helps and marries the humbled princess. Like much of sub-Saharan African folklore, this is a didactic tale. Mollel's text, though, is not heavy-handed. He builds sympathy for the boy, who is at first tempted to kill the bird for food but who shares with the other creatures because he knows hunger and loss. The interdependence of all living things figures strongly here and may be presented in light of current concerns. Reasoner's illustrations combine bright colors, straight lines, and broad flowing curves that build upon African motifs. In comparison with other stories, such as Mollel's The Orphan Boy (Ticknor & Fields, 1991), the illustrations lack depth. However, the explanatory material at the end is useful, and this is a lively and appealing retelling. --Lyn Miller-Lachmann, Siena College Library, Loudonville, NY
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 7 and up
  
• Paperback: 32 pages
• Publisher: Troll Communications; 1 edition (January 1, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 081672816X
• ISBN-13: 978-0816728169
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 8 x 0.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,047,666 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #3 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Children's Books > Literature > Fairy Tales, Folk Tales & Myths > African
  • #34 in Books > Children's Books > Fairy Tales, Folk Tales & Myths > African

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A New Fairytale, March 1, 2005

A Kid's Review

This review is from: The Princess Who Lost Her Hair: An Akamba Legend (Legends of the World) (Paperback)

THE PRINCESS WHO LOST HER HAIR was a spectacular book! It really illustrates what life in Africa is like. This book seems like a combination of many fairytales, but with an African twist. The beautiful pictures create an African vibe. I would definitely recommend this book to almost all young children. This has been one of my favorite books since I was little, and I will continue to love it for the rest of my life!

Age Level- 5-12

2 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars from a mom and child, May 9, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: The Princess Who Lost Her Hair: An Akamba Legend (Legends of the World) (Paperback)

This book is really good in that it helps to explain how weather can effect different things. It also is a great teacher for kindness to others even the small and different. As a mother with a child that has aloepica this book was not really a lot of help in that matter. My 12 year old did lit the book though and love the illstrations in it. They are so righ in color. I also used this in my Jr. High class as we were studying Africa and we thought it would be a neat way to introduce the idea of a drought to the students. The story of the princess not showing kindness to the bird and the results to her was a good lesson. The way the books ends shows that kindness given will be returned. Really all in all it's a good feel good book for all ages.