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emkoshka's review against another edition
3.0
Another Caldecott Medal given to a book exploring an unfamiliar culture, this time bringing to life a West African folk tale. Its procedural investigation into a death, tracing the chain of events back in time, made me think of 'Who Killed Cock Robin'. It's a little hard not to feel for the mosquito though.
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.
bookishmarianne's review against another edition
4.0
4 stars
What an interesting folktale. I think it could be interpreted a few different ways. That said, the death of an owlet plays a big role in the story and that seems a bit dark for kids. The artwork is even better than the story though, it’s really beautiful. I’m glad I picked this one up.
What an interesting folktale. I think it could be interpreted a few different ways. That said, the death of an owlet plays a big role in the story and that seems a bit dark for kids. The artwork is even better than the story though, it’s really beautiful. I’m glad I picked this one up.
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!
kesterbird's review against another edition
5.0
This is such a classic, it's hard to get any critical distance. I grew up with it, and i hope it's good.
beecheralyson's review against another edition
4.0
Caldecott Winner 1976 - Interesting to read this back to back with A Story A Story.
debz57a52's review
4.0
A fun story. I used to use it as an introduction to mythology in my classroom, but it's just a well-told, well-illustrated story in general.
capeltheartist's review
5.0
This one was very charming. It's a Caldecott winner too. This is a West African story akin to "There was an old lady who swallowed a fly" where a chain of events unfolds from a single catalyst causing disasterous results. Well worth the read.
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