Lake Of the Big Snake
Grade 1-4-Best friends Ade and Tayo live in a village in the African rain forest. When their mothers leave for the day, they tell the boys to finish their chores and stay out of the jungle. Ignoring these commands, the friends venture to Odo Ere, or Lake of the Big Snake, and cross to the other side to feast on berries. Unfortunately, a huge water snake prevents their return. Various attempts to outwit the wily creature fail before the two boys finally come up with a solution and manage to return home to face their unhappy mothers. Based on the author's memories of a lake near his childhood home in Nigeria and on various tales he heard about a monstrous snake that lived there, this story has the tone of a traditional tale. Shepard's watercolor illustrations work well with the text to depict the jungle encounter between boys and reptile.Kathy Piehl, Mankato State University, MNCopyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.