Additional information
by Ololade a. Okubena (Author)
Ijapa the Tortoise, Aja the Dog, Okere the Squirrel, Asin the Rat, Akere the Toad, Kolokolo the Fox, Akuko the Rooster, Ekun the Tiger, Obo the Monkey! An array of delightful animals that are used symbolically in African folktales with their names translated here into the beautiful and diverse language of Yoruba. Spoken primarily in Nigeria, West Africa reaching all the way to Latin America and the Caribbean especially Cuba. Ijapa the Tortoise the main protagonist has a variety of often ill-fated adventures with all these animals and many more in this collection of folktales titled "African Languages Made Easy Series". The tortoise who is defined as a lazy, slow moving dull animal comes alive paradoxically in these stories as - crafty, wily, cunning and devious. Always almost trying to outsmart animals that are bigger, stronger and supposedly smarter than himself, he finds himself at the short end of the stick. These folktales have been passed down from generation to generation as a way of passing on wise sayings and moral codes of conduct especially to children in Africa. It's the Tortoise in Nigeria, its Anansi the Spider in Ghana and the list goes on. The Author has written these folktales from the oral tradition in a modern, exciting and engaging way with vivid illustrations and lyrics. Also in this English/ Bilingual (English and Yoruba) collection are these other titles: The Tortoise and The Dog/ The Tortoise, and The Dog (Bilingual version) The Tortoise, The Rat and The Squirrel/ Ijapa, Asin ati Okere (English and Bilingual) The Tortoise and the Toad/ Ijapa ati Akere (English and Bilingual) The Tortoise, the Fox and The Rooster/ Ijapa, Kolokolo ati Akuko. The Tortoise, The Tiger and the Monkey/ Ijapa, Ekun ati Obo.
Author Biography
Even though she was raised in Lagos, Nigeria, Dr. Ololade (Lola) Okubena considers herself to be a "citizen of the world." Surrounded by books in her parent's house, she started to read at an early age and developed a lifelong fascination for the people and cultures of other countries. After she received her medical degree, her work took her out of Nigeria, and thus began her worldwide journey to explore the languages, religions, foods, customs, and day-to-day lives of the people she had read about when she was a child. Dr. Ololade is also passionate about passing on, from one generation to the next, the spoken and written language of the Yoruba people of Nigeria. She fondly remembers how her father told stories to his children in the moonlight, with the sounds of chirping crickets and other night creatures in the background. Her folk tales are told in a way that Nigerian children can relate to. The colorful characters wear hats, wooden bead necklaces, dashikis, and other items that reinforce the traditions of the Yoruba people. They also have distinct personalities, with all of the faults and attributes that are shown by human beings. Dr. Okubena's books have been printed in English, Yoruba, Igbo, and Hausa, with additional Talking Pen translations in Spanish, French, German, Arabic, Mandarin Chinese, and Ijebu. She is continually challenged and inspired to keep Yoruba alive by her daughters, Kiki and Idara, and by her desire to preserve the beauty and uniqueness of the Yoruba language and culture.
