N.B. I read this book in its original French language, but I would LOVE to discover that an English-language translation of these beautiful & heart-warming short stories from Gabon might someday become available!
a nutshell: an owl plays the role of storyteller for his friend, the moon, to help her shine brightly – fantastic stories of Lulu the dragonfly’s woes at the Ball of the Fireflies, Cali the chief monkey’s nightmarish choice for successor, Sieur the raven’s tendency to see la vie en noir, and the songs & strife of Beauty the turtledove
a line: “Luna was his only daughter, the pupil of his eyes, his sun, the sugar in his banana” (I will always love that very last phrase)
an image: there were many magical images, but to pick just one – ahead of the Ball of the Fireflies, we hear of the stars’ plans to wear their most sparkling jewelry to ensure the party is dazzling
a thought: I was interested in how, more than once, the wind was the cause of angst among these wonderful animals’ comings and goings – the natural elements were also anthropomorphised, and the wind very much held the position of mischief-maker
a fact: having grown up in Gabon’s second-largest city and leading seaport, Port-Gentil, Merey-Apinda writes in her blurb that it was from meetings across her birthplace’s borders that she came to want to share her love for words
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