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[Following is a volunteer review of ""Dumb" Orphans" by Allan Low.]

This magnificent children’s trilogy begins in a South African valley called Bundami, where eight orphans live, explore, and care for themselves. The orphaned children, ages 2 to 15, love exploring the terrain of Bundami and the animal and plant life growing there. These little explorers named themselves the Bundu Bunch! The orphans suffer perpetual hunger and severe discrimination because they are poverty-stricken. The wealthy residents of the community scarcely consider them, and whenever they do, it is to look down on them while calling them “dumb orphans.” But this cruelty only results in the orphans’ resolve to become literate against all odds! Dumb Orphans by Allan Low is a heart-wrenching story that is also uplifting, inspirational, and full of delightful surprises!

The Bundami community’s headman, Meyego, ostracizes and exploits the Bundu Bunch. They are forced to gather firewood, fetch daily water for his household, and herd his cattle! In return, they receive a once-a-month bag of maize and a sack of sugar beans that must last the orphans the entire month! They are not permitted to attend school. The unscrupulous and opportunistic headman aims to keep them ignorant, hungry, and dependent on him.

Marginalized to a powerless position in the community, the Bundu Bunch become innovators through their will, determination, and 15-year-old Aiyasha’s motherly guidance and tutoring! Without owning so much as a pencil, the children are taught letters, sums, and how to form words from letters—springing from Aiysasha’s creative and can-do mentality! A couple of the younger children discover an ingenious new way to collect water after the vengeful son of Meyego sabotages their usual water collection spot.

Read Dumb Orphans to discover how the political and communal tables are turned and what happens to the orphans who call themselves the Bundu Bunch! For instance, how Aiysasha, once an absconding outcast of her community, becomes an idol of the nation and is sought after for her physical and mental acumen!

This children’s trilogy takes the reader on a courageous and imaginative adventure while instilling empathy for others and learning about injustice, greed, and selflessness. This poignant story encourages children to remain steadfast in pursuing their dreams! And it teaches some interesting lessons about living and surviving in the wild! One such lesson is how the eye color of animals in the bush can alert one to danger! Green-eyed animals are herbivores, but red-eyed animals are carnivores! The Bundu Bunch also learned that a mongoose can protect them from venomous snakes! Later, they (and the reader) discover why mongooses are immune to snake venom. Children will love reading about the orphans’ adorable pet mongoose named Pele! And speaking of adorable—the illustrations by Elizabeth Sparg help take the book to another level! I eagerly anticipated a sketch following each chapter. I felt a little chagrined when I did not find one, which led me to believe that children of all ages would fancy the book’s charming illustrations!


This children’s book had nothing to dislike, and I appreciated the flawless editing! I give it 5 out of 5 stars because that is the maximum, but from my heart, I give it stars to infinity!

I recommend Dumb Orphans for ages ten and up, including adults of all ages! I suggest that an adult read the book to or with children under ten to discuss some of the essential themes, ideas, and words with the child.

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"Dumb" Orphans
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Dumb Orphans sounds like a book I would enjoy. I also really like the art style on the cover.
Thank you for this thorough review, Terry!

Thank you very much, Terry, for your lovely review. It is an intense book with profound feelings. I am glad you liked it.

Wow, Terry! This book is a gem. I am happy that I read your review. Did you attain this book from Amazon? This is an ultimate story of resourcefulness and perseverance. These orphans climbed up from the depths of slavery and extreme poverty. What an inspirational story. There are many lessons to be learned as well as interesting trivia and cultural mores. Great review! Thank you.

Thank you for your thoughtful review. This sounds like a wonderful children's book with lots of lessons to be learnt from different quarters. The children's innovative ways of living and learning is impressive. I would definitely consider this for any children I have.

The theme of this book is heartbreaking yet inspirational. The orphans face every challenge with unflinching determination and I appreciate that. It will sure be a cherished book. Thank you for this insightful review. I enjoyed reading this.

Dumb" Orphans by Allan Low tells the story of a group of orphan children in the southern part of Africa in a region called Bundami. Meyego, the headman of Bundami, placed the orphan children in the care of Aiyasha, a fifteen-year-old orphan girl. The orphan children are charged with collecting water and firewood for the region by Meyego. Although food is donated to the poor people of Bundami, Meyego sells the food to the rich citizens and only provides meager rations to those without money. Aiyasha and the orphans often only get corn and sugar beans. They only eat one meal a day and are usually hungry.

The orphan children are often called dumb by the other children throughout the town, including Meyego's son, Samu. The children bully them because they are uneducated and do not attend school. Because they do not have the funds to pay for school and Meyego forces them to collect water and firewood for the town, the orphans do not attend school. That changes after the orphans find a new water source that can provide plenty of water quickly, giving Aiyasha and the children more free time. The orphans beg Aiyasha for an education, so she begins using old materials, sticks, and dirt to teach the children the alphabet, how to read, and math. The orphans prove their intelligence by winning scholarships to begin attending school. Meyego is very angry that the children will no longer be doing chores for the community, so he tries to convince the people that Aiyasha is a witch and should be killed. He provides poisoned food for her and the young orphan girl still in her care. Miraculously, a teacher and her students chose to visit the orphan house that day, and they rushed the girls to the doctor. The girls fully recovered and left Bundami with the teacher and students and moved to England. Aiyasha began running for the track team in school and showed her true talent. Her talent led her to the Olympics.

"Dumb" Orphans shows how powerful the human spirit is. Although the orphans are poor, homeless, and uneducated, they excel when given a little help. All the children work hard to get an education; then they begin to research ways to help the people throughout Africa. The story of Aiyasha and the orphans shows that, with hard work, everyone can be successful.