How Many Spots Does a Leopard Have? written by Julius Lester is a compilation of African and Jewish folktales. I didn't particularly care for these folktales; these stories are not ones I would read to my own son. They are very vivid in description and paint a clear picture, too much so in some aspects. It is a wide range of stories. One story is an explanation of the placement of the sun and moon in the heavens and the water on earth. One story explains why dogs chase cats. Another story portrays a woman's longing for children, receiving them (in a roundabout way) and then losing them forever. Another tells an amusing tale of quick wit and intelligence in which a turtle, elephant and hippopotamus go toe to toe in a tug of war match. Despite my own personal opinion, I think it would be beneficial for kids to read these types of stories to broaden their horizons and become more aware of other culture's folktales.
Other books written by Julius Lester:
To Be a Slave
Black Folktales
The Knee-High Man and Other Tales
The Tales of Uncle Remus: The Adventures of Brer Rabbit
Long Journey Home
This Strange New Feeling
On Wednesday, June 23, 2010
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