Review of Animal Village

[Becca Olsson]

[Following is a volunteer review of "Animal Village" by Nelda LaTeef.]

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5 out of 5 stars

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Animal Village, written and illustrated by Nelda LaTeef, is a beautiful children’s book about one small tortoise named Timba who lived among a village of animals led by the lion Chief Zamboha. When the village begins to experience a drought, Timba is the only animal with an idea that she drew from the “old stories”. Her idea is to dig and dig until water comes from the ground. All the animals contribute until they get tired and they begin to make fun of Timba and drive her out of the village for wasting their time and their strength Yet, Timba perseveres and soon finds the water she is searching for. Will she find her way back to the village and save the other animals from the drought and from themselves?

I loved reading this book. It’s such a simple story, yet full of so much advice. Timba’s perseverance is an inspiration to her entire village. As they dig, the animals sing two lines of lyrics on repeat: “the moon moves slowly but it crosses the sky, everything is possible by and by”. What a beautiful phrase that is. The large animals all give up and will find nothing, but a small tortoise who digs and digs day and night will eventually find what she is looking for.

The illustrations are another beautiful part of the story. The colors are rich and diverse. The drawings are simple, but they are so full of life. Along with including the illustrations, the author gives more depth to the story through the facts about Africa that she includes in the beginning and end of the book. She provides information on where she learned about the “old stories” that are referenced and how important these stories are to preservation of the past and of culture.

I found no negatives in this book. It was truly a joy to read. I found no grammatical errors and believe this book to be professionally edited. Therefore, I rate this book five out of five stars.

There was no inappropriate content and I would recommend this book to readers of all ages. It was a children’s book, but the advice and the positive outlook on life that can be learned from this story is important to all readers, young and old.

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Animal Village
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