Summary: Don't you hate it when a mosquito buzzes in your ear? Doesn't it annoy you? Have you ever wondered why it buzzes in peoples ear? Verna Aardema's story gives a West African tale that sheds light into the reasoning. As the book begins, we find the mosquito pestering an iguana, so much so that the iguana plugs its ears to block out the mosquito's lies. Unfortunately, the actions of the iguana then effects another animal's actions which then effects another animal and so on, causing a chain of events. The chain of events hurts the owl who fails to rise the sun. When lion finds out, he gets to the bottom of the matter which exposes the actions of the mosquito. The mosquito overhears the animals wanting the mosquito to be punished, so it flies away. So now when the mosquito attempts to talk to someone else in their ear, the mosquito is quickly met with a brush of the hand.
Reference: Aardema, V. (1975). Why mosquitoes buzz in people's ears. New York, NY. Dial Books for Young Readers.
Impression: As I began reading this book, I wasn't aware that it was a folktale; I just quickly picked it up and began reading. So, naturally when I got to the end when it explains why the mosquito is met with the swat of the hand when it buzzes in people's ears, I thought it was quaint and had a nice laugh because I wasn't expecting that. I also liked it because the folktale was a moral tale as well. In a way, it explains what can happen when people lie and the ramifications of getting caught in those lies. It was like the theory of how a ripple in the ocean can turn into a wave; something that might appear to be tiny can lead to catastrophic events. The illustrations of Diane and Leo Dillon work well with the story in the sense that it tells the story without distraction and that the style of the art is similar to that of the culture. This is a great children's book to have on your own personal library shelves.
Professional Review:
A tiny mosquito tells a tall tale which sets into motion a series of events, some comical, some sad. All the jungle animals become upset by the news of an owlet's death and consequently mother owl is too sad to wake up the sun. The animals get together to fix the situation and punish mosquito. Mosquito gives up telling tall tales, but learns an even more annoying habit. Leo and Diane Dillon's powerful, award-winning illustrations of African masks and woodprints evoke a strong sense of the jungle. Category: Award Books; Folklore; Multicultural. Grade Level: Preschool; Primary (K-3rd grade). 1976, Dial. Ages 3 to 9.
Mary Jane (1976). [review of Why mosquitoes buzz in people's ears by Verna Aardema]. BookHive(www.bookhive.org). Retrieved from http://libproxy.library.unt.edu:3574/index.php/jbookdetail/jqbookdetail?page=1&pos=7&isbn=9780140549058.
Library Use: I would teach this to elementary students as a lesson in morality and then connect it to contemporary society's social networking dilemma. Students need to be aware of the power of what they say about others and the costly ramifications of those words, especially when it's shared on the internet. I would then tell them some true life examples to make it more relevant and impacting.
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