Sikulu & Harambe: Zambian Culture for Kids
Sikulu the spider and Harambe the hippo are two friends, traveling near the Zambezi river in Zambia.
In the book Sikulu & Harambe, the two happen upon a woman washing her clothes. As the clothes are accidentally swept down the river, the woman calls out for help.
In the tradition of The Good Samaritan or even The Little Red Hen, many other animals stand by and offer only excuses instead of help for the distraught woman.
Sikulu & Harambe come to the aid of the laundry woman and they are rewarded for their efforts, causing the other animals to feel shame for not helping when they had the chance.
Sikulu & Harambe is exactly the type of book that I am excited to bring into my home.
Author Kunle Oguneye has crafted an engaging story that comes complete with an engaging story line and a simple moral, all expertly interwoven with interesting glimpses into Zambian culture.
Sikulu & Harambe brings character education along with cultural information. I am looking forward to other books about Sikulu & Harambe that will give us the chance to follow their adventures as the journey to other countries in Africa.
The illustrations by Bruce McCorkindale really bring Sikulu & Harambe to life, with soft, friendly drawings of the Zambian flora, animals, and people.
I was excited to have the opportunity to interview author Kunle Oguneye by email. It was great to be able to ask him some questions about his work:
[Mom Most Traveled] Sikulu & Harambe is written in a folk-tale style. Is it a folk tale that you adapted, or a new, original story?
[Kunle] It is based on a folktale, but it has been adapted quite a bit. The original tale is about a man who stopped to help an old woman by the road, instead of rushing to the market to buy his wife some meat. It turned out that the old woman was the mother of the king of the neighboring village and so the man was rewarded for his efforts.
Sikulu the spider and Harambe the hippo are my creations.
[Mom Most Traveled] What inspired you to write Sikulu & Harambe?
[Kunle] I wrote the book because I realized that so many of our stories were oral and that we had to start documenting them. I also wanted to be able to share the story with children all over the world. We will be publishing a series of books that take place in different countries in Africa.
[Mom Most Traveled] What is your connection to the Lozi people from western Zambia, the people mentioned in the book?
[Kunle] No connection. I merely selected Sioma because of it’s proximity to the Zambezi River. Even though I haven’t visited it, I feel like I know one more place in the world.
[Mom Most Traveled] Were there things about the Lozi or Zambia that you wanted to include in the storyline of Sikulu & Harambe that you had to leave out?
[Kunle] The Ku-omboka ceremony is very elaborate and can take place over several days. A couple of pages does not do it justice.
[Mom Most Traveled] What advice can you give to Mom Most Traveled readers who are aspiring children’s book authors?
[Kunle] Go ahead and start writing. Be sure to get input from at least twenty people. Teachers and librarians are always willing to give their input. It took me three years and multiple revisions to finally complete the book.
[Mom Most Traveled] Can we look forward to other children’s books from Kunle Oguneye?
[Kunle] Yes you can. We expect to release two new books next year.
I can’t wait to see what Kunle Oguneye comes up with next!
You can visit Sikulu.com and read Sikulu & Harambe right on the website, and purchase here! Check it out, and spread the word about this great book!
Thank you to Parent Reviewers for the opportunity to read this wonderful book!
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24 October 2008, 1:47 am
Sounds like my kind of book! Great interview. I recently discovered your blog on Entrecard . . . love it
I’m adding you to my blogroll.
29 October 2008, 3:13 am
[...] Mom Most Traveled - Sikulu & Harambe brings character education along with cultural information. I am looking forward to other books about Sikulu & Harambe that will give us the chance to follow their adventures as the journey to other countries in Africa. [...]