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munchin's review against another edition
4.0
A funny origin story. There is good use of repetition in this story which is very good for memory. This is evident to me because I remember the words to this tale almost word-for-word from kindergarten. The illustrations were really nothing special. I actually didn't like the style or color scheme all that much, but the story is a good one. Animal rights activists will HATE the final panel, but it made me chuckle.
libscote's review against another edition
4.0
Caldecott Medal, 1976
West African tale about why mosquitos buzz. Pretty good!
West African tale about why mosquitos buzz. Pretty good!
exmish's review against another edition
4.0
Love tales of "how the ________ got its ______" style and this was not a disappointment. My 5-year-old liked it.
jbet2011's review against another edition
4.0
I really enjoyed this book and thought it was a great example of a traditional literature/porquoi tale. It is a retelling of a traditional African tale that explains why the mosquito buzzes. The African art style illustrations capture the feeling of the story really well.
I think this book is a really good fit for young children. I laughed out loud when the iguana "stuck two sticks in his ears and went of, mek, mek, mek, mek". The use of humor, bright, colorful illustrations and repetitive lines, bring the child into the story.
This book is a great way to get children to think creatively about the world around them and also to familiarize them with stories from another culture.
I think this book is a really good fit for young children. I laughed out loud when the iguana "stuck two sticks in his ears and went of, mek, mek, mek, mek". The use of humor, bright, colorful illustrations and repetitive lines, bring the child into the story.
This book is a great way to get children to think creatively about the world around them and also to familiarize them with stories from another culture.
ramonamead's review against another edition
4.0
When I was a kid, I followed along in this book while my mom played the vinyl record on her turntable. The story has stayed in my consciousness ever since. I recently stumbled upon the audio book in my library's Overdrive app and decided to give it a listen now as an adult. The story was as charming as I remember! The narration, music, and sound effects all stand the test of time, resulting in a fun listening experience.
rainbowbookworm's review against another edition
5.0
African myths feel more like folk tales. This one was very entertaining.
calistareads's review against another edition
4.0
The artwork here is fantastic. To me, it is something new from what I have been reading in the Caldecott genre. There are these large colorful patterns inside shapes that make up the jungle and the animals.
This fable is about why mosquitoes buzz in people’s ears (like the title says) and it is caused by a chain of events that go on and on until a branch breaks and an owlet dies. The mother owl hoots up the sun and because she is sad, she will not call up the sun and they are in darkness. It also becomes like ‘there was an old woman who swallowed a fly’ in that each verse gets added as the story goes along.
Mosquitoes buzz in people’s ears whining to ask if they are still in trouble, according to the myth. I thought it was a cute story and the artwork is something to checkout. It really is lovely.
Both kids thought this was a fun story. At the end we were saying the rhyme together. They enjoyed the artwork also. The nephew liked the big python and he gave this 4 stars. The niece was very sad at the owlet dying. Nothing seemed to be done for the family, just blame given. She gave this story 4 stars as well.
This fable is about why mosquitoes buzz in people’s ears (like the title says) and it is caused by a chain of events that go on and on until a branch breaks and an owlet dies. The mother owl hoots up the sun and because she is sad, she will not call up the sun and they are in darkness. It also becomes like ‘there was an old woman who swallowed a fly’ in that each verse gets added as the story goes along.
Mosquitoes buzz in people’s ears whining to ask if they are still in trouble, according to the myth. I thought it was a cute story and the artwork is something to checkout. It really is lovely.
Both kids thought this was a fun story. At the end we were saying the rhyme together. They enjoyed the artwork also. The nephew liked the big python and he gave this 4 stars. The niece was very sad at the owlet dying. Nothing seemed to be done for the family, just blame given. She gave this story 4 stars as well.
jmanchester0's review against another edition
4.0
Continuing our cultural journey with this story from West Africa. We enjoyed the story and the art in this book - with a funny ending. So, why does the mosquito buzz in people's ears?