Author: Verna Aardena (retold by)
Title: Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People’s Ears: A West African Tale
Illustrator: Leo and Diane Dillon
Publisher: Dial Books for Young Readers
Year: 1975
Format: Hardcover
Genre: Caldecott
Reading Level: Assisted
Interest-Level: Elementary
Topics: Folklore, animals
Summary: This West African tale is retold and illustrated with bright colors to capture any children’s eye. It begins with a mosquito trying to tell the iguana about a farmer digging yams but he ignores him. Thus, the story follows the events that happened after this conversation occurs.
Extension Activities:
*This book is great to incorporate geography! Before reading, let the students know it is a West African tale. Afterwards, show the students a map and ask them if they know where Africa is or to guess by pointing on the map. You can explain to them what it is like in African, the culture, the climate, etc.
*Vocabulary: There are many worlds used throughout the books the children may have never heard before or don’t know what they mean. You can ask them if there were any unfamiliar words in the story and then go over them. Some examples are, “yam”, “mischief”, “duty” and “nonsense”.
*There is one animal that saw EVERYTHING from start to finish. Ask the students if they know which animal. Was it the monkey? Or how about the iguana? No, it was the pink bird! Have the students create their own pink bird out of construction paper- pink, yellow for the beak, and black for the eyes. Asking the students to cut two triangles for the beak, two circles for the eyes, and two circles for the body and head can incorporate shapes. Brass fasteners could be used for the beak so it opens and closes.
