Little Ngiri is the Smallest Warthog in Africa. Tired of being teased by his bigger brothers and sisters, he wishes things could be different. When Old Nyumbu the Wildebeest gives Ngiri a set of magic drums, he is sure his wish is about to come true. But all the animals of the jungle are in for a BIG surprise as Ngiri's wish is granted in a most unexpected way. In the end, the gentle message that inner beauty and change is more important than outer beauty rings true. In true Graeme Base style, there is an added surprise at the end of the book. Everything seems to be normal in the jungle, but look closely and you will see that none of the animals or the other creatures watching from the trees are quite the way they were when the book began. Look even closer, and you will also find Old Nyumbu the Wildebeest hidden somewhere on every spread. Jungle Drums is a book to be read over and over again.
"In this disconcerting fairy tale, a young warthog uses magic bongos to cast spells on his vain jungle neighbors, and the results are not pretty. Ngiri Mdogo, literally 'little warthog' in Swahili, hates being the runt of the forest. ' 'No spots?' laughs Chui the Leopard. 'No stripes?' whinnies Punda Milia the Zebra.' Ngiri Mdogo complains to Old Nyumbu the Wildebeest, who lends him two special drums but warns that the outcome is 'not always as you expect!' The first time he beats these 'jungle drums,' the pompous beasts turn neutral beige and lose their identifying features; the elephant no longer has its trunk, nor the rhino its horns. Their markings appear on the other warthogs (not the hero), who proudly parade around the muddy riverbank. Ngiri Mdogo plays the drums again, but the warthogs only transform further into giraffes and zebras, the leopard gets the rhino's gray skin and the elephant acquires leopard spots. Base painted naturalistic, if anthropomorphic, beasts in
Animalia, but here he plays mix-and-match with exaggerated, garish cartoon creatures until a third wish restores normality. The book's most engaging aspect is its hide-and-seek game; chameleons, birds and snails flicker in the greenery, and semi-transparent portraits of the wildebeest appear in every spread. The forest yields details, but readers may be put off by the unpleasant discombobulations that beset the main characters. Without the alphabetic format of
Animalia and the visual interplay of
The Water Hole, the story feels like a hollow vessel for delivering a clichd message. Ages 4-8.
(Sept.) "
Publishers Weekly (Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information, Inc.)
The bestselling picture book author creates another inventive, imaginative story about a little warthog who comes to possess a magic drum that makes wishes come true. Includes a bonus game to play using the pictures. Full color.
The littlest warthog wishes he could play with the other warthogs, but they just make fun of him, as do all the other animals. When he acquires a magic drum, he makes a wish that goes astray with hilarious results. Full color.
