Skip to main content

Module 3: Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People's Ears


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.  

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Super Mutant Magic Academy

Summary: Emotionally up and down, socially in and out, self/worldly comprehension and confusion: characteristics of high school teenagers.  Such is the case for Wendy, Marsha, Frances, Gemma, Trevor, Trixie, Cheddar and many others, all students at the Super-Mutant Magic Academy.  These students have their cliques as well as their outsiders, their jocks and their performance artists, their hip teachers and their clueless ones, unrequited love and hidden agendas.  Everything your typical high school would have, except these students aren't just kids, they're mutants.  Some students are humans with special abilities, while others are evolved animals with human characteristics.  Yet despite their mutant status they all still suffer from typical teenage angst and concerns, which are all on full display by Jillian Tamaki.  Each character has their own journey to follow, but unfortunately not every issue gets resolved.  Reference : Jillian Tamaki (2016...
Post a Comment
Read more

Kirby: King of Comics

Summary : The biography of Jacob Kurtzberg, aka Jack Kirby, aka the King of Comics.  From his lowly beginnings as a newspaper hawker to drawing comic book heroes, we see the man doing what he is good at doing: creating.  Creating stories, creating fantasy, creating characters, creating never before seen artistic illustrations, and creating comic book lore.  Yet, he did not necessarily do it out of love for his profession, but out of love for his family.  That love of family entails a man's responsibility of taking care of his loved ones, so Jack did.  Yes, he enjoyed what he did and he was good at it, but if Jack could have found a better way to earn money, he would have leaped at the chance.  During his time, the profession of comic book artist paid very little and received even smaller recognition.  Throughout his career, Jack craved respect, but seldom got it; however, this did not deter Jack from continuing to fight for it, no matter who the pub...
Post a Comment
Read more

The Baker Street Four, Vol 1

Summary: Often times in a Sir Arthur Conan Doyle mystery involving Sherlock Holmes, the protagonist relied on the assistance of individuals that he referred to as the Baker Street Irregulars.  These "irregulars" were the people of the streets or in this case the children.  These kids were more than likely orphaned or abandoned to the streets of London, left to fend for themselves.  Despite their sordid lives, Sherlock saw them as invaluable and would consistently turn to them for help.  In The Baker Street Four , we follow three such children, Tom, Charlie, and Billy, along with their pet cat, Watson, on two of their own personal cases: The Blue Curtain and The Rabúkin Case. The children get to practice the techniques that they most likely learned from associating with Holmes and their own street-wise expertise in order to solve their mysteries, which it turns out to be a great help to those they're aiding.  As we get to know each of these kids, we learn that...
Post a Comment
Read more