The Zebra’s Stripes and other African Animal Tales

Book excerpt: Folktales can be described as fictional prose narratives that are not confined to any particular culture. A folktale may appear in a slightly different form in a culture that is geographically nearby, or it may appear in a culture that is quite far removed from its original source. In The Zebra’s Stripes and other African Tales, Dianne Stewart has retold a collection of folk tales that have their origins all over Africa. Aimed at children and adults, these tales include legends such as ‘How Lion and Warthog became Enemies’ from the Lamba people of Togo, ‘How Giraffe Acquired his Long Neck’ from East Africa, ‘Why Hippopotamus Lives in the Water’ from Nigeria and ‘Monkey The Musician’ from South Africa. There are tales from the San, Zulu, Zambia, Congo and West Africa, et al. Each section is devoted to a type of animal, and concludes with some facts about the animal in question, adding educational to the stories. Proverbs from various cultures provide additional insight. Throughout, Kathy Pienaar’s beautiful illustrations show great attention to detail.