The Baboons Who Went This Way and That

by Alexander McCall Smith

A man with a tree growing out of his head? A woman with children made of wax? A bird that can be milked? With more stories from his original celebration of African folktales, "The Girl Who Married A Lion", let Alexander McCall Smith once again take you to a land where the bizarre is everyday and magic is real.

Genres: Fiction, Mythology, Childrens, Young Adult, Short Stories, Juvenile, Africa

164 pages, Paperback

First published June 29, 2006

About the author

Alexander McCall Smith is the author of the international phenomenon The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series, the Isabel Dalhousie Series, the Portuguese Irregular Verbs series, and the 44 Scotland Street series. He is professor emeritus of medical law at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland and has served on many national and international bodies concerned with bioethics. He was born in what is now known as Zimbabwe and he was a law professor at the University of Botswana. He lives in Scotland. Visit him online at www.alexandermccallsmith.com, on Facebook, and on Twitter.

Reviews

[Arush Ul islam · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was a really nice book full of great tales from South Africa, this book is quite like Aesop’s fables. It mainly includes all the tapes related to animals.

They are the same stories that are being told by our grandmothers and great-grandmothers.

A complete fun-read. It invokes some of my childhood memories of my grandmother, telling some archaic Indian tales.

A complete five star deserving book:

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

[anakdenesor · Rating 3 out of 5]

My first book of the year! Yeayy!! A collection of short stories about folktales in Africa.This book promises a different experience for you. Usually we are presented with cliche folktales, happy ending and normal characters but not this book. I would warn you some of the story a little bit morbid.

[Elizabeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

A nice little collection of African folk stories that were odd but I quite liked. Some were a bit morbid but they were all interesting.

[Judy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Most of these really are different from the fairy tales that I am familiar with from European cultures. This made them really quite intriguing, and the endings wonderfully unexpected. I liked the voice which really did quite a good job of suggesting the oral tradition of telling these stories. (But wouldn't I love to hear them told in person in a village in Africa. Awesome.)

'Chicken, Hawk and the Missing Needle' was a delightfully neat explanation of the mannerisms of a chicken. I won't give it away. It's too lovely to spoil.

Just one of them reminded me of a European fairy tale. I wonder if they are related and if so, how. It was called 'How a Strange Creature Took the Place of a Girl and Then Fell into a Hole'. It seemed to be very similar to a story that Phillip Pullman re-told in 'Grimm Tales for Young and Old' called 'The Goose Girl'. Both tales are about a girl who sets off richly dressed and riding a good mount (a buffalo and a horse respectively), on a journey to meet her bridegroom. On the way, she is tricked into exchanging places (clothes and mount) with a wicked person/creature who takes her place as the bride upon arrival.

An engaging read.

[Moushumi Ghosh · Rating 3 out of 5]

Since I am on the AMS marathon read, I had to read this book too! These are folk tales set in Africa specifically from Zimbabwe and Botswana. It's similar to folk tales across the world. A natural justice system punishes wrong doers and weird and wonderful problems are solved in unique and fun ways. I liked it for the cultural milieu it evokes. I could not help but think how wonderful each of these would be as a picture book. Read only if you like Africa, folk tales or AMS or some combination of these.

[Rachael · Rating 2 out of 5]

White man writes about African folktales with sub-par illustrations.

ಠ_ಠ

[Sadie-Jane Huff · Rating 3 out of 5]

interesting collection of stories.. some lil dark..

[Jack Nadeau · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a fun and quick read. I enjoy short stories with a life lesson.

[Tracy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stories captured and told so well. I enjoyed peeking through a window into a different cultural folklore.

[Scott Langston · Rating 3 out of 5]

Engagingly simple. A breath of fresh air...

[Tricia Phua · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was my childhood book and it helped me through several heavy books. So if you need a palette cleanser, do proceed.

[Paschalis]

elibrary

[Clare · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoy this book of African Folktales and the illustrations were lovely too.

[Joshtb · Rating 3 out of 5]

i liked this book because it was just so authentic that until half way through the book i thought that Alexander McCall Smith had just recorded them not written them. this was a fascinating read that drew me in throughly and totally.my favorite short story was the baboons that went this way and that witch ironicly is also the name of the book in witch is is the story of how baboons came to be.the best bit was the reason why baboons live in small groups. it is because when ever they see another baboon that is not family they fall about laughing while the other baboon is jumping up and down in rage so they get angrier and angrier.an over all great read and a high recommendation.

[Deborah · Rating 4 out of 5]

A man with a tree growing out of his head? A woman with children made of wax? A bird that can be milked? With more stories from his original celebration of African folktales, "The Girl Who Married A Lion", let Alexander McCall Smith once again take you to a land where the bizarre is everyday and magic is real.

[Eliatan · Rating 2 out of 5]

I am not familiar with the traditional folk stories of Africa, but I found it interesting how similar they were to the European tales I grew up with - talking animals, magic and morality.

The illustrations were very disappointing though - for such an esteemed author to share these traditional stories, he could easily have engaged a talented artist to illustrate them.

[༺Kiki༻ · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the illustrated version of The Girl Who Married a Lion: and Other Tales from Africa.

[Sonia Almeida Dias (Peixinho de Prata) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful shirt stories, colourful, that leave a warmth in your heart. The illustrations are also simple and pretty, making the book very easy to read, and I just wished I had children to share it with.

[Elizabeth Mills · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute, traditional African stories. A very quick read. Not as interesting as his Scotland St. or No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series.

[Julie · Rating 3 out of 5]

A somewhat bizarre collection of short stories that will leave you feeling both warm or bewildered! Charming to say the least.

[Anne Mackelvie · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a prolific writer this guy is! Downloaded this book to read to my 2 kids on holiday, we all loved the folk tales. The illustrations are really cute, would be a beautiful book to own in hardback.

[David Dewata · Rating 3 out of 5]

A traditional African stories that i think Smith put it as it was told. A good read but not essential. Only for completist.

[Constandinos · Rating 4 out of 5]

Entertaining whatever your age

[Vireya · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting and strange.

[Morag · Rating 2 out of 5]

Easy read - first of his books I have read and I am not sure what I was expecting - I found it odd.

[Tracey · Rating 2 out of 5]

Interesting....maybe good for a before bedtime short story.

[Ema · Rating 3 out of 5]

An easy reading. Suits for children.