Guinea (French)
107
Pinguilly, Yves / Seck, Sarang (text)
Koenig, Florence (illus.)
Le garçon qui mouillait les poules (The boy who made the chickens wet)
Conakry : Éd. Ganndal, 2001. - 23 p.
ISBN 2-913326-32-3
Chicken - River - Coming of age - Fairytale
As a baby, Diidi was »touched« by the river Néré, a sign that he is
under the river's protection. The small boy grows up well-behaved and imitates
all of his mothers gestures, until, one day, the other children and the village
shamans make fun of him. Diidi immediately stops copying his mother. As an
adult, he even leaves his village to search for the origin of water. The boy's
tale clearly shows the negative influence social pressure may have on a person's
maturation. The figurative language brings situations from African culture to
life for small readers. Three-colour collages in orange, black, and white depict
how Diidi finds his own way and lend additional expressiveness to this tale.
(6+)