Jackal's Flying Lesson: A Khoikhoi Tale

by Verna Aardema

With the help of a blue crane, a mother dove rescues her babies from a not-so-clever jackal

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens

32 pages, Hardcover

First published May 10, 1995

About the author

A prolific American children's author and teacher, Verna Norberg Aardema Vugteveen - more commonly known as Verna Aardema - was born in 1911 in New Era, Michigan. She was educated at Michigan State University, and taught grade school from 1934-1973. She also worked as a journalist for the Muskegon Chronicle from 1951-1972. In 1960 she published her first book, the collection of stories, Tales from the Story Hat. She went on to write over thirty more books, most of them folkloric retellings. Her picture-book, Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People's Ears, won co-illustrators Leo and Diane Dillon a Caldecott Medal. Aardema was married twice, and died in 2000 in Fort Myers, Florida. (source: Wikipedia)

Reviews

[Abigail · Rating 3 out of 5]

When Jackal tricks a mother dove into throwing her two babies out of the nest, Blue Crane intervenes, turning the tables on Jackal and rescuing the young birds. This tale from the folk tradition of the Khoikhoi people of southwestern Africa, is meant to convey the moral that "whoever sows evil will see it come forth in his own garden," but most readers will simply appreciate the humorous punishment of tricky Jackal.

While it is not her strongest offering, Verna Aardema delivers an entertaining story with Jackal's Flying Lesson, which originally appeared in her 1973 collection, Behind the Back of the Mountain: Black Folktales from Southern Africa , and which will be appreciated by young folklore lovers especially. Dale Gottlieb's simple illustrations, which alternate with pages of text, have a childlike appeal.