Lighthearted retelling of an Ashanti tale. Leopard, thinking himself better than Fly, dresses up in fancy garments and forces his companion to carry his bundle on their search for young maidens to marry. To Leopard's surprise, Fly is more successful with the young women than he is, so he takes angry measures against Fly, only to discover once again, that Fly is more popular still. The earthy, and culture-conscious illustrations, bring to life this engaging tale of frienship, envy, and getting what's coming to you. However, even though the illustrations dull and lack vivid hues. On the other hand, Aardema has taken a traditional African tale, and told it in a humorous way. Leopard is the arquetype of the self-centered individual, and Fly is the easy-going fellow whose unassuming charm attracts all the young maidens. A good choice to complement an African-American animal tales collection. Half-a-ball-of-Kenki: an Ashanti Tale Retold. Verna Aardema ; and with pictures by Diane Stanley Zuromskis. New York : F. Warne, c1979, 31 pp. Ages 5 to 8.
$20.00 collectors edition.