The Village that Vanished [Mass Market Paperback]

Kadir Nelson (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 29, 2004 | Age Level: 5 and up | Grade Level: K and up

Young Abikanile and all of the villagers of Yao feel safe hidden deep within the African jungle. But word has come that the slavers are on their way! Abikanile looks to her mother and her grandmother for strength and guidance. These two brave women come up with a plan to fool the slavers and protect their tribe. But as the villagers retreat into the forest, Abikanile finds that she too has the courage to help her people stay safe and free.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The creator of The Village of Round and Square Houses sets another moving tale on African soil, this time recounting how a small village escapes a band of slave traders. Young Abikanile and her mother, Njemile, guide their fellow villagers in an ingenious escape, but it requires both courage and faith. In the style of an African storyteller, Grifalconi uses expressive prose to eloquently recount the anxious and poignant atmosphere as villagers prepare to flee deep into the forest to wait out the slavers. First, they must wipe out all traces of the village of Yao (except for the elder, Chimwala, who elects to stay and pose as a soothsayer): "The people stood back, then, leaning on their hoes, their tears wetting the soil where their homes had rested, as the smell of freshly turned earth rose about them." Nelson's (Just the Two of Us) oils, heavy on dusky tones, fill in finely detailed pencil drawings to convey the dense flora of the African jungle as well as the gait, poise and feelings of the villagers. Crosshatched shadings add subtle texture to their dark skin, while a small white flower or brightly colored batik provides sophisticated contrast. In an especially effective scene, Njemile tells her daughter of the slavers who "come riding in swiftly on horseback, shooting their long guns, capturing unarmed farmers" while shadowy images of them, guns raised at the ready, eerily appear as dark clouds against an orange sky. An uplifting tale of inner strength and courage. Ages 5-up.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From School Library Journal

Grade 2-6-In a folkloric style, Grifalconi tells of an African village whose inhabitants use their wits and their faith in the spirits of their ancestors to hide from the slavers who are approaching. Abikanile's mother devises the plan whereby the Yao dismantle their huts and till the ground where they stood to make it seem as if only one old woman, pretending to be a witch, lives in the vicinity. But it is Abikanile herself who, by calling on ancestral spirits, is shown the stepping stones hidden beneath the surface of the river that allow the villagers to escape. This story celebrating resourcefulness, quick thinking, and community solidarity may inspire and empower readers. Nelson's pencil drawings enhanced with oil paints are wonderfully evocative of place, mood, posture, and expression.
Miriam Lang Budin, Chappaqua Public Library, NY
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 5 and up
  
• Mass Market Paperback: 40 pages
• Publisher: Puffin (December 29, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0142401900
• ISBN-13: 978-0142401903
• Product Dimensions: 10.7 x 7.5 x 0.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #829,721 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #37 in Books > Children's Books > Literature & Fiction > Historical Fiction > Africa

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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 Beautiful Illustrations and Story, May 30, 2006

By 

M. Allen Greenbaum (California) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Village That Vanished (Jane Addams Honor Book (Awards)) (Hardcover)

I got this book solely because of Kadir Nelson's magnificent illustrations in "Ellington Was Not a Street." Nelson again shows why he's one of the top kids' books illustrators. Moreover, the story skillfully weaves fact, spirituality, and suspense in an exciting, identifiable story of escape from danger--in this case slavers who will capture or kill them.

The narrative focuses on three members of a peaceful agricultural community in Africa, part of the Yao tribe: Abikanile (whose name means "listen") a pre-adolescent girl who embodies fear and courage, her mother, Njemile ("upstanding") the moral leader and embodiment of practical and sacred wisdom, and her grandmother, Chimwala ("stone"), brave and unyielding as a rock.

There's a pervasive theme of spirituality: The book opens with Njembile praying to her ancestors to keep the family safe, and her prayer foreshadows some of the ensuing events:

Do not deny me now!

Lend me and my children

The secrecy of the crocodile

Below your waters!

Oh, my ancestor spirits

We need your magic now!

Protect our village,

Keep us free!

Realizing that they can't successfully battle the slavers, and that hiding would be futile, Njembile convinces the small community that they must fool the slavers by destroying or hiding every trace of the village. They quickly take apart their reed huts, and carry as many items as they can. Chimwala is too frail to make the journey, but she stays behind as decoy, planning to tell the powerful traders that she is a witch, living alone in small jungle clearing. "The slavers will not take me! Am I not old and mean? Is it not said `The Crocodile will not eat old wrinkled adder snake?'"

When the villagers' escape route leads them to a wide, impassable river, the swift Abikanile runs to find a shallow crossing. She finds nothing. Then, this listener, remembering her mother's prayer, appeals to the ancestors, who reveal walking stones for those who have the faith to see them. Back in the deserted village, Chimwala uses her "stony face," and unwavering calm to deceive the gun-toting slavers atop their powerful horses.

Ann Grifalconi writes beautifully ("Young Abikanile waited, still as a bird, in the tall reeds that grew near the water's edge") and believably, although it is not stated whether this is indeed an authentic African tale. Many of Kadir Nelson's oil paint-on-photocopy pictures have a luminous, dramatic look, particularly his cover drawing of the slavers imagined in the clouds. The heavily crosshatched individual portraits add character, and Nelson's portrayal of the life-giving river, usually set against a beautifully luminescent sky, is spectacular (although several scenes take place at twilight or night). I missed some sense of the jungle, more over-head or long shots showing the jungle against the sky, and perhaps a small animal here and there would have conveyed more sense of setting. However, these are small objections in a highly accessible story about faith, the necessity for teamwork, and the power of the individual.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Refreshing and Heartwarming, January 18, 2007

By 

Mami_Wanga (NYC, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Village That Vanished (Jane Addams Honor Book (Awards)) (Hardcover)

I came across this book in the library. I read it to my 7 year old daughter and she and I both were delighted with this tale. As a fictional tale for children it embodies the spirit of community and culture the magic of nature and the ancestral-spiritual realm. The illustrations are beautiful which greatly embellishes the storytelling of the author. Well-written, beautifully illustrated and wonderful content. I highly recommend it.

5 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good, could be better, January 6, 2003

By 

Ed Gibbon www.congocookbook.com - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Village That Vanished (Jane Addams Honor Book (Awards)) (Hardcover)

"The Village That Vanished" is a story about the people of an African village who work together to avoid slavers that are coming their way, showing how faith and perserverence are rewarded. The story is set among the "Yao" people but no information is given as to who the Yao people are or where they live or whether this is a story told in Africa. The story seems to be set in East Africa (the slavers appear to be Arab, not European). Some background information would be very useful. The illustrations are excellent.