Kereen Getten creates an incredibly vivid picture of a hot, lush green island with a village community where everyone knows everyone’s business. Read our book review of The Shark Caller When Life Gives You Mangoes by Kereen Getten But it is also about the magic of the ocean, the beauty of its blue, crashing waves, its mysterious water creatures and hidden secrets. A magical book about loss, longing, friendship and moving on. It is about Blue Wing, her friendship with the new girl on the island, all her undertakings to become a shark caller and the sad reason why. This is an absolutely stunning, lyrical story set in Papua New Guinea. Image from the front cover of When Life Gives You Mangoes by Kereen Getten The Shark Caller by Zillah Bethel, illustrated by Saara Katariina Söderlund Here are some middle-grade books I have read, which centre around one of these elements or show them in beautiful, fierce or magical ways. They seem to do these wonders of nature the most justice. The books that intrigue me the most are the ones that embed the elements in magical tales. In children’s literature today, the fascination with the elements is still very much alive, and they are depicted in the most compelling ways. Read our review of Children of the Quicksands Two intriguing goddesses made their way into my story: Oshun, the goddess of the waters, and Oya, goddess of the winds. So not surprisingly, years later when writing Children of the Quicksands, I found myself weaving in strands of magic, myths and legends based on this mythology. As a child growing up in Nigeria, I was captivated by the Yoruba mythology, which also has deities with powers over the elements. Famous examples are Gaia, the Greek goddess of earth, and Poseidon, god of the sea. They are so precious that deities in different cultures across the world were assigned to keep, care for or control them. Mythologies, legends and folklore surround the elements, underlining their beauty and importance. Water, wind, earth and fire: The four elements in children's booksĪuthor Efua Traoré talks about her favourite stories that incorporate the elements in the most surprising and magical ways.Įfua Traoré and her book Children of the QuicksandsĪncient cultures were fascinated by the four basic elements of nature: water, wind, earth and fire.
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