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The Talking Baobab Tree

by Nelda LaTeef

The Talking Baobab Tree is derived from a story the author heard while visiting a Wolof village in the outskirts of Dakar, Senegal. The story is in keeping with traditional Wolof tales which reveal a deep admiration for getting the better of a stronger, more powerful opponent. Wolof proverbs are blended into the story as are the Wolof words: Oubi (open) and jerry-jef (thank you).

The Wolof people make up forty percent of the population of Senegal and are celebrated for their oral tradition, sense of style, and hospitality. An often repeated saying among the Wolof is “Eat whatever you like but wear clothes that please others.” There are over ten million Wolof speakers, many of whom live in Senegal, The Gambia, and Mauritania.

The Talking Baobab Tree has won multiple awards and star reviews, including:

KIRKUS REVIEWS’ BEST BOOKS OF 2020

2021 STORYTELLING WORLD AWARDS WINNER , (YOUNG LISTENERS)

2021 CHILDREN’S AFRICANA BOOK AWARDS (CABA) HONOR BOOK

2021 AFRICA ACCESS BOOK REVIEW  (5 STARS!)
 
2020 STARRED KIRKUS REVIEW
 
Official OnlineBookClub.org Review (4 out of 4 stars)

ISBN 9789988860387 | 40 pages | 280 x 216mm | Colour Illustrations | 2020 | Sub-Saharan Publishers, Ghana | Hardback

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Reviews

"Her flowing prose seamlessly integrates new vocabulary in English (baobab) and Wolof, the language of the story’s origin. The beautiful acrylic, India ink, and collage illustrations capture the setting and the tone of the tale. The design is also inventive; in one delightful two-page spread, Johari slides down a sand dune, requiring readers to turn the book sideways. In another long illustration, a collage of gems fills the inside of the baobab. A rich, inventive rendering of a familiar folktale."

Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

"The Talking Baobab is well written and suitable for children of all ages. The book has easy-to-understand moral lessons that can be of benefit to all. Johari, the rabbit, shows how to handle bullies with your brain rather than brawn. The hyena, a model of bad behavior, reaps the ill-will he sows and loses everything because of his greed. Baobab, naturally endowed with life-sustaining resources, is generous and kind but no fool.  Proverbs are sprinkled throughout the book: “A good neighbor is better than a relative who lives far away …. Deeds speak louder than words …. An egg shouldn’t wrestle with a rock.”  

Illustrations are often as important if not more so than the actual words in books focusing on distant cultures. Lateef’s  illustrations and color selections are representative of the Sahel region. The drawings – clear, clean and easy to follow – show the differences between the Sahel, a semi-desert belt with vegetation that supports animal and plant life and the Sahara, a true desert with little vegetation."

Africa Access Review (January 21, 2021)

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