Publisher's Synopsis
Ijapa the tortoise, Aja the dog, Okere the squirrel, Asin the rat, Akere the toad, Kolokolo the fox, Akuko the rooster, Ekun the tiger, Obo the monkey! An array of delightful animals that are used symbolically in African folktales, translated here into the beautiful and diverse language of Yoruba. Spoken primarily in Nigeria, West Africa reaching all the way to Latin America and the Caribbean especially Cuba. Ijapa the tortoise the main protagonist has a variety of often ill-fated adventures with all these animals and many more in this collection of folktales titled "African Languages Made Easy Series". The tortoise who is defined as a lazy, slow moving dull animal comes alive paradoxically in these stories as - crafty, wily, cunning and devious. Always almost trying to outsmart animals that are bigger, stronger and supposedly smarter than himself, he finds himself at the short end of the stick. These folktales have been passed down from generation to generation as a way of passing on wise sayings and moral codes of conduct especially to children in Africa. It's Ijapa the tortoise in Nigeria, its Anansi the spider in Ghana and the list goes on. The Author has told these folktales from the oral tradition in a modern, exciting and engaging way with vivid illustrations and lyrics to capture the attention of children and Adults who wish to re-connect with their roots using language as a tool in the 21st century. Also in this English/ Bilingual (English and Yoruba) collection are these other titles: The Tortoise and The Dog (English version) The Tortoise, The Rat and The Squirrel/ Ijapa, Asin ati Okere (English and Bilingual) The Tortoise and the Toad/ Ijapa ati Akere (English and Bilingual) The Tortoise, the Fox and The Rooster/ Ijapa, Kolokolo ati Akuko. The Tortoise, The Tiger and the Monkey/ Ijapa, Ekun ati Obo Bilingual editions will be made available as Audible versions to enhance pronunciation and reading of the indigenous languages.
