Master Man: A Tall Tale of Nigeria
"Once there was a man who wasstrong," begins this energetic,  comic-strip style adaptation of a Nigerian tall tale. Bragging to his wife one  day, Shadusa says "Just look at these muscles! I must be the strongest man in  the world. From now on, just call me... Master Man!" His wife Shettu warns him  against his foolish boasting: "No matter how strong you are, there will always  be someone stronger. And watch out, or someday you may meet him." When he learns  that a man from another village calls himself Master Man, too, Shadusa soon rues  the day he talked so big. Imagine his surprise when he discovers that the other  Master Man eats entire elephants at one sitting, after killing them with his  bare hands! Trying to escape from him, Shadusa runs smack into yetanotherMaster Man, who is soon locked in deadly combat with the  elephant-eating one until "each gave a mighty leap, and together they rose into  the air. Higher and higher they went, till they passed through a cloud and out  of sight." To this day, the two giants still battle in the sky, making the noise  that some people call thunder.This traditional Nigerian story is one of many about fighting he-men, starring  the stock character Mijin-Maza or Namji-Mijin-Maza, otherwise known as "A Man  Among Men," "Manly Man," or "Superman." Caldecott Medal recipient David  Wisniewski's playful cut-paper collages, set in comic-strip frames complete with  speaking bubbles for dialogue, feature the colorful patterns and textures of  Nigerian clothing and landscapes. With this unusual picture book, professional  storyteller Aaron Shepherd spins a boisterous, action-packed read-aloud. The  author's note in the back explains the story's origins with the Hausa, the  largest ethnic group of northern Nigeria. (Ages 4 to 8)--Emilie Coulter