A Wisp of Wisdom

A Wisp of Wisdom is a wonderful collection of stories from Cameroon.

Sometimes change happens in the silence between heartbeats. Sometimes it follows in the footsteps of strangers. But sometimes change comes blowing on the wind...

Each of the twelve stories has been written by a different author- except Geraldine McCaughrean who has written two. This means the book is a delightful mix of styles and voices.

And if you learn anything from this story, maybe it should be to think twice before judging even the grouchiest of grumps- and at least thrice before lending a single coin to a terrible trickster tortoise.

There are tricky tortoises, chuckling crocodiles, cunning monkeys and a whole host of other animals in this wonderful collection. I think my favourite is Lucy Christopher's Why the Rat-Mole Stores Groundnuts- but I change my mind with each reading.

Without Promise, Mole would never have learned that being brave and considerate, even to those she was scared of, meant that everyone, really, was saved.

Each story stands on its own, but there is a wonderful sense of the diverse environment and the rich tradition of storytelling which they stem from. This is a fabulous collection for home and for school, for independent reading and for sharing!

A Wisp of Wisdom: Animal Tales from Cameroon

Lucy Christopher, Abi Elphinstone, Adele Geras, Elizabeth Laird, Sarah Lean, Gill Lewis, Geraldine McCaughrean, Tom Moorhouse, Beverley Naidoo, Ifeoma Onyefulu, Piers Torday

Illustrated by Emmie van Biervliet

Lantana     ISBN: 978-1911373063