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cstoeger's review against another edition
I love the colors! Compared to some other Caldecott winners, the book is so colorful!
tracie_nicole's review against another edition
5.0
I love the art style and this was a great folktale. I remember we had to make our own folktales in elementary school sort of like this.
beths0103's review against another edition
4.0
Beautiful illustrations and and interesting African folk tale make this a Caldecott winner I can get behind.
brooke_review's review against another edition
4.0
Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People’s Ears is a retelling of an African tale, which serves the purpose of explaining the origin of the mosquito ear buzz. This riveting tale shows how one simple action can lead to tumultuous results. The book follows the animals of Africa, beginning with a mosquito telling an exaggerated tale to an irritated iguana. What follows is a series of assumptions on the part of the animals, leading to the ultimate death of a baby owl, and consequently the refusal of his mother to wake the sun, thus coloring the land with darkness. The king of the animals, the lion, works backwards to solve the mystery of why the owlet was killed bringing us back to the mosquito who started it all. The tale ends traditionally by giving the reason for why mosquitoes buzz in people’s ears even to this day.
The work carries a theme about assumptions and their unfortunate consequences. Intertwined with this theme are elements that explain the origin of particular events, such as the rising of the sun and the buzzing of mosquitoes in ears. What is created is a masterful, captivating tale that takes the reader on a rollercoaster journey of emotions, ranging from laughter to sorrow. The important lesson of what happens when one assumes is effectively relayed through this work.
The characters are introduced individually and are cleverly brought to life through the use of sound effects, which makes for an interesting read aloud. Even better are the illustrations, which paint the animals with a vivid watercolor, cut-out effect. The emotions of the animals are effectively conveyed throughout the work, giving the reader a sense of the build up of confusion and emotion that traveled through the land. What may be most striking is the blackness of the pages during which Mother Owl refuses to wake the sun – the color contrast works very well with the plot playing out on the pages. Additionally, the repetition of words detailing the sequence of the animals’ actions as King Lion attempts to find out who the culprit is also plays an important part in moving the plot forward. Based upon its excellent writing and illustrations, this Caldecott Award Winner is an essential purchase for all libraries.
The work carries a theme about assumptions and their unfortunate consequences. Intertwined with this theme are elements that explain the origin of particular events, such as the rising of the sun and the buzzing of mosquitoes in ears. What is created is a masterful, captivating tale that takes the reader on a rollercoaster journey of emotions, ranging from laughter to sorrow. The important lesson of what happens when one assumes is effectively relayed through this work.
The characters are introduced individually and are cleverly brought to life through the use of sound effects, which makes for an interesting read aloud. Even better are the illustrations, which paint the animals with a vivid watercolor, cut-out effect. The emotions of the animals are effectively conveyed throughout the work, giving the reader a sense of the build up of confusion and emotion that traveled through the land. What may be most striking is the blackness of the pages during which Mother Owl refuses to wake the sun – the color contrast works very well with the plot playing out on the pages. Additionally, the repetition of words detailing the sequence of the animals’ actions as King Lion attempts to find out who the culprit is also plays an important part in moving the plot forward. Based upon its excellent writing and illustrations, this Caldecott Award Winner is an essential purchase for all libraries.
kinsey304's review against another edition
5.0
_Why Mosquitos Buzz in People's Ears_ is a Caldecott Medal winner. I think this book is very fun and interesting. I like the story line because it leaves the reader waiting for a resolution for the owl to make the sun come. It reminds me of a folktale. I really enjoy the illustrations in the book because they are so abstract. It makes me feel like I am looking at a piece of art and greatly reminds me of Picasso. The vibrant colors are also very attractive. I would use this book in the classroom to entertain the children and to teach them about abstract art. I feel like this book is suited for children around the age of kindergarten. Because of the repetition used and the artwork, I feel as though children that age would be engaged with this book.
The artwork is very interesting in this book. The style of artwork is modern art because it is so different from most books. It is also quite abstract in terms of how things are shaped and proportioned. An example of this would be the animals bodies throughout the book. There are many different patterns making up the bodies of the animals in the book. The sun in each page is also quite abstract as it appears to have a face looking down on each scene. The colors are very vibrant, and there are very many patterns. I liked how when the sun had disappeared, and the background of each page turned black. The medium used seems to be oil paints because the lines are so precise but not thin enough for it to be with pen or pencil. The colors are also vibrant and heavy. The illustrations run through the gutter of each page and appear to take center stage. The text is found in a small paragraph, and the illustrations are very large, taking up almost the entire page.
The artwork is very interesting in this book. The style of artwork is modern art because it is so different from most books. It is also quite abstract in terms of how things are shaped and proportioned. An example of this would be the animals bodies throughout the book. There are many different patterns making up the bodies of the animals in the book. The sun in each page is also quite abstract as it appears to have a face looking down on each scene. The colors are very vibrant, and there are very many patterns. I liked how when the sun had disappeared, and the background of each page turned black. The medium used seems to be oil paints because the lines are so precise but not thin enough for it to be with pen or pencil. The colors are also vibrant and heavy. The illustrations run through the gutter of each page and appear to take center stage. The text is found in a small paragraph, and the illustrations are very large, taking up almost the entire page.
sassmistress's review
funny
lighthearted
4.75
Excellent folk tale. I especially love the repetition and African-style onomatopoeia-like the snake slithering wasawusu, wasawusu, wasawusu. It's generally very funny, except for the owlet being killed by a falling branch causing the owl to grieve and not wake the sun. The followup is lighthearted, though, as the blame gets passed from animal to animal until they all agree to punish the mosquito.
Content Warnings
Minor: Child death and Grief
crystal_reading's review against another edition
4.0
1976 Caldecott winner
Feel bad for the mosquito when it is all over. Fun book about blame.
Feel bad for the mosquito when it is all over. Fun book about blame.
annebennett1957's review against another edition
5.0
Delightful illustrations and actually quite a funny little parable.
kiralovesreading's review against another edition
informative
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0