I've never read any African folk tales or legends so I didn't know what to expect from this story. The plot was very similar to a Native American or Greek myth so I really liked it. The conflict between humans and animals was a universal concept amongst all cultures so I'm not surprised at the similarities. I learned what Imani means from this book, which was cool because I went to school with a girl named Imani. ( )

The story of Imani and how she battles the ferocious beast to get her children back. ( )

When Imani must travel to the distant market to sell her produce, she warns her children to stay safe near the family hut. But, like children everywhere, they become distracted during the course of their play, and when a herd of wild animals thunders through the village, they are far from shelter. Returning home and discovering that they have been swallowed by the terrible Simba, King of Beasts, Imani sets out to rescue them, ending up in the belly of her enemy. Will she find a way to save herself, her children, and the other villagers trapped in Simba's belly...?

Originally collected in G.M. Theal's 1886 Kaffir Folk Tales, this tale from the Xhosa people of South Africa emphasizes - both through its heroine's name and actions - the importance of faith, when confronted with frightening events. I cannot say that the cut-paper illustrations by Alex Boies were really very appealing - David Wisniewski does this sort of thing so much better - but the story was interesting, and should appeal to young folklore lovers, particularly those looking for South African tales.

One note: the publisher of this book clearly needs to hire better editors and blurb-writers, as the front dust-jacket flap reads: "The rich tapestry of western Africa comes alive in Deborah M. Newton Chocolate's masterful retelling of a Swahili tale." Hard to imagine, since Swahili is spoken in eastern and southern Africa... ( )