Review of "Dumb" Orphans
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M Grogan
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Review of "Dumb" Orphans
[Following is a volunteer review of ""Dumb" Orphans" by Allan Low.]
"Dumb Orphans”: The Bundu Bunch Trilogy by Allan Low takes readers on a journey with a group of orphaned children. The first of the three books is told from seven-year-old Sipho’s perspective. We are introduced to the Bundu Bunch, who all live together in a hut in a small village in the Bundami Valley in Africa. We follow along with them on their daily chores as they gather food, collect water, and herd animals. The group of orphans is far from dumb. We see early on in the story that their intelligence shines through as they come up with creative solutions to the problems they face. Book two is told from Elah’s perspective. The story quickly changes as Aiyasha and Elah win scholarships to attend school in England. Aiyasha becomes a skilled runner and is able to bring attention to the plight of the orphans in her home country. In the final book, we learn more about the orphans as adults. They have all become quite accomplished and use their unique talents to have a positive impact.
I was initially upset about the title of this book, but I quickly came to realize the brilliance of it. These orphans, through education and perseverance, ultimately make incredible discoveries and inventions that change their world. They are anything but dumb. I really enjoyed Allan Low’s emphasis on the importance of education. It is a theme that is explored from the very beginning of the novel through to the end, from the “briefcase classes” that Aiyasha gives the other orphans, to the scholarships they win, to the higher education they obtain by the final chapters. I also appreciated the theme of social justice that is woven into the novel. The contributions the orphans make later in life, including an HIV vaccine and a new type of sustainable agriculture, are a beautiful example of this.
The author has clearly spent considerable time and effort editing this novel to make it a delightful and easy read. Overall, I rate this novel a four out of five. I enjoyed the short chapters and the beautiful illustrations included throughout the novel. Learning about the culture, animals, and food of this African setting was also a pleasure. The themes, like education and social justice, were important and fully explored. However, the narrators of the story are very young children, and their voices in the story do not always seem consistent with this. The vocabulary they use and the concepts they convey do not seem in alignment with their youth. In general, this was a beautiful novel that I’d love to share with some of the children in my life.
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"Dumb" Orphans
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
"Dumb Orphans”: The Bundu Bunch Trilogy by Allan Low takes readers on a journey with a group of orphaned children. The first of the three books is told from seven-year-old Sipho’s perspective. We are introduced to the Bundu Bunch, who all live together in a hut in a small village in the Bundami Valley in Africa. We follow along with them on their daily chores as they gather food, collect water, and herd animals. The group of orphans is far from dumb. We see early on in the story that their intelligence shines through as they come up with creative solutions to the problems they face. Book two is told from Elah’s perspective. The story quickly changes as Aiyasha and Elah win scholarships to attend school in England. Aiyasha becomes a skilled runner and is able to bring attention to the plight of the orphans in her home country. In the final book, we learn more about the orphans as adults. They have all become quite accomplished and use their unique talents to have a positive impact.
I was initially upset about the title of this book, but I quickly came to realize the brilliance of it. These orphans, through education and perseverance, ultimately make incredible discoveries and inventions that change their world. They are anything but dumb. I really enjoyed Allan Low’s emphasis on the importance of education. It is a theme that is explored from the very beginning of the novel through to the end, from the “briefcase classes” that Aiyasha gives the other orphans, to the scholarships they win, to the higher education they obtain by the final chapters. I also appreciated the theme of social justice that is woven into the novel. The contributions the orphans make later in life, including an HIV vaccine and a new type of sustainable agriculture, are a beautiful example of this.
The author has clearly spent considerable time and effort editing this novel to make it a delightful and easy read. Overall, I rate this novel a four out of five. I enjoyed the short chapters and the beautiful illustrations included throughout the novel. Learning about the culture, animals, and food of this African setting was also a pleasure. The themes, like education and social justice, were important and fully explored. However, the narrators of the story are very young children, and their voices in the story do not always seem consistent with this. The vocabulary they use and the concepts they convey do not seem in alignment with their youth. In general, this was a beautiful novel that I’d love to share with some of the children in my life.
******
"Dumb" Orphans
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Latest Review: Alfie's Attack by David Bohline
