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Children's Fiction General

The King and the Tortoise

by (author) Tolowa M. Mollel

illustrated by Kathy Blankley

Publisher
Fitzhenry and Whiteside
Initial publish date
Sep 1992
Category
General
  • Hardback

    ISBN
    9781895555400
    Publish Date
    Sep 1992
    List Price
    $16.95

Classroom Resources

Where to buy it

Out of print

This edition is not currently available in bookstores. Check your local library or search for used copies at Abebooks.

Description

Who is the cleverest creature of all?

In order to find out, the king has issued a challenge: who can make him a robe of smoke? The swift hare, the sly fox, the fierce leopard, and the mighty elephant try but each one fails.

It is up to the tortoise, patient and slow, to win the day through wit alone.

In this gentle traditional story from Cameroon, master storyteller Tololwa Mollel has woven a tale of humour and wisdom as magical as a robe of smoke.

About the authors

Contributor Notes

Tololwa Mollel is a children's author, dramatist and storyteller. He grew up in Arusha Tanzania at the times when oral tradition was still alive and well. Tololwa has written over sixteen books using traditional folklore as their basis. He has worked as an actor and university theatre instructor in Tanzania and Canada, and as a writer-in-residence for the Edmonton Public Library. His books include award-winning titles such as Orphan Boy, Rhinos for Lunch and Elephants for Supper!, Big Boy, and My Rows and Piles of Coins. His books have been translated into various South African languages and into Korean. He lives in Edmonton, Alberta.