Bimwili And The Zimwi (My Bear Books)

Bimwili and the Zimwi (My Bear Books)

A Swahili girl is abducted by a Zimwi and told to be the voice inside his singing drum.From School Library JournalKindergarten-Grade 4 In a fluid style, Aardema retells a folk tale from Zanzibar that was first published in 1896. As in some of her previous books, she creates words to express various sounds throughout the text. Whether it's the t-lopping of a wave, the che, che, che of laughter or a crab making a guga, guga, guga sound as it skitters along, young and old alike will enjoy vocalizing the interpretations of these unique words. A little girl, Bimwili, is captured by an ugly troll-like character known as a Zimwi. The Zimwi forces the child to stay inside his drum and sing for the inhabitants of various villages. Bimwili is saved when she sings in her own village and her mother recognizes her voice. Meddaugh combines watercolors and colored pencils to create vivid, softly textured illustrations. Her characterization of the Zimwi is particularly interesting in that he looks both foreboding and vulnerable at the same time. Coming from a culture so steeped in oral tradition, it is no surprise that this tale makes for lively fun whether read independently or aloud. Tom S. Hurlburt, Anoka County Lib . , Blaine, Minn.Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.