Review of The Talking Baobab Tree

[Roy Nick]

[Following is a volunteer review of "The Talking Baobab Tree" by Nelda LaTeef.]

---

4 out of 4 stars

---

Share This Review

---

Johari, the rabbit, is lost in the desert while strolling away from her burrow. The sun is scorching, and the ground is hot. She then sees a baobab tree with a massive trunk and an amazing shade. Better still, it has fruits and leaves. After taking a nap under its shade, she is awakened by a voice that seems to originate from within the tree. To her surprise, the baobab talks! After some dialogue, the tree gifts Johari a treasure. When she returns to her burrow, an envious enemy sees it and wants to know from where she got it.

Indeed, The Talking Baobab Tree by Nelda LaTeef is a masterpiece! When I obtained a copy of this book in PDF format, I thought the writings and pictures would be plainly in black and white. Instead, we have picturesque illustrations, and the writings are done in a captivating font. I found the graphics of this book to be far much better than most volumes I have received in other formats. That is what I admired most.

The story teaches children many lessons. Obedient is one. When Johari encounters the baobab tree and is given instructions by it, she complies without failure. Also, the baobab tree shares its leaves and fruits even with the enemy. Kids will learn kindness has no measure.

I liked how Nelda shared how she derived her inspiration to compose this tale. She says a story she heard while traversing a Wolof village in Senegal inspired her. She blends some words of Wolof’s dialect in the story to bring a uniqueness of the African culture.

I found Johari sarcastic and witty when she encountered the enemy. There wasn’t anything to dislike. The book is exceptionally well edited because I did not come across a single error. Additionally, it can be used as a learner’s guide for children to improve their grammar or teach them some life values. Consequently, I rate The Talking Baobab Tree 4 out of 4 stars. I recommend it to children between the ages of 3 to 8 years.

******
The Talking Baobab Tree
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon