Title: Mufaro's Beautiful Daughters
Author/Illustrator: John Steptoe
Lothrop, Lee and Shepard Books, NY 1987
This gorgeously illustrated tale of two sisters set in Africa is sure to get children of all ages thinking about what is important in life and to ignite conversations in the class. It is a folktale that highlights the importance of virtue over beauty and kindness over pride. The two sisters are both candidates for becoming queen and make a journey to the capital to see the king. The lessons they learn on the way are the real test of whether they are queenly material or not.
The illustrations are vivid and help the reader understand the story as well as set it in the lush jungle landscape of Africa (namely Zimbabwe).They really draw the reader into the fantastic story. The moral message is a very important one for young children who may be experiencing similar strife between their siblings. The characters are portrayed accurately as is the rich African culture (from my knowledge anyway). This was one of my absolute favorite books growing up.
I think teachers should use this book as a group read aloud for elementary kids (grades 1-5) and offer it as individual reading for grades 3-5. Some of the African terms may take some explaining but the message is clear. This book is a valuable classroom tool for discussion and cultural exploration.
This book can teach students not to judge a book by it's cover. Throughout the book one of the sisters were described as a selfish person who looked down on and ugly people. However the other sister helped the beggar, the old lady, etc. without being asked. The first sister was turned away from the prince because she judged everyone she came across and didn't want to help. However the prince decided to marry the second sister because she was nice, helpful, and didn't judge anyone by their appearance.
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