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A review by kitsuneheart
Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People's Ears: A West African Tale by Verna Aardema
4.0
I can not tell you how many times I've read this over the years. It's certainly a classic, and a warranted winner of the Caldecott Medal for its time, though, with the years, it has gone down somewhat, in my estimation. There's just so many modern books which surpass it.
That said, though, it's a must-read for kids, and certainly a must-have for public libraries. The artwork is so soft, thanks to the airbrushed watercolors, and the style instantly makes me think of African art (I do so dearly wish I could give a better region, but all I can tell is that it's West African). The story is a typical series of established events and then a backwards recapping of events, in this case, to determine the true culprit of a crime.
I will say, some parents might be a bit opposed to the death of an owlet and the squashing of a mosquitoe in the book, but they're not traumatic, so I think kids will be fine.
That said, though, it's a must-read for kids, and certainly a must-have for public libraries. The artwork is so soft, thanks to the airbrushed watercolors, and the style instantly makes me think of African art (I do so dearly wish I could give a better region, but all I can tell is that it's West African). The story is a typical series of established events and then a backwards recapping of events, in this case, to determine the true culprit of a crime.
I will say, some parents might be a bit opposed to the death of an owlet and the squashing of a mosquitoe in the book, but they're not traumatic, so I think kids will be fine.