Mufaro’s Beautiful Daughter: An African Tale
Caldecott Honor Book
Written and Illustrated by John Steptoe
Scholastic, Inc. 1987
Caldecott Honor Book
Written and Illustrated by John Steptoe
Scholastic, Inc. 1987
Picture Book, Traditional Literature K-3
Summary: In a small Africa village, there lives two beautiful sisters whose names are Manyara and Nyasha. Manyara was always in a bad temper. She teased her sister and was very jealous of her, for everyone talks about how kind Nyasha is. Nyasha did always seem to be in good spirits, for she sang to her garden and to the little snake she named Nyoka. One morning, a messenger came from the city saying that the Great King wanted a wife. The father planned to leave the next morning, but Manyara did not want to wait. She left that night on her own. On her way, she passed a little boy who asked for some food, but she said that she did not have any food, yelling for the boy to get out of the way. She then met an older woman who gave her advice, but Manyara scolded her.
The next morning, Nyasha and her father searched for Manyara. When they found her footprints leading to the city, they decided to follow her path. When Nyasha met the young boy, she gave him the yam that she had packed for lunch. When she met the older lady, she smiled, taking her advice and gave her a small pouch filled with sunflower seeds. As Nyasha approached the city gate, she met Manyara who was screaming. She said that she saw a snake with five heads who knew all her faults and that she displeased him. Nyasha bravely climbed the steps and opened the door. On the seat of the great chief’s stool lay the little garden snake. Nyasha laughed with relief and joy, exclaiming, “My little friend, why are you here?” The garden snake then changed shape, becoming the king! He said that he was the hungry little boy in the forest and the old woman who you gave sunflower seeds. He told Nyahsa that she was the most beautiful and worthy daughter in the land. He asked her to be his wife. Villagers from all around were invited to the celebration. Manyara finally became happy for her sister, and she became a servant in her sister, the queen’s household.
Response: This is now one of my favorite Cinderella stories! The fact that Nyasha is beautiful for her character and spirit is a truth that everyone should live by. How we treat others is important and truly makes a difference in our beauty and how we are perceived by others. Nyahsa and Manyara are opposites. Nyasha represents kindness and compassion, while Manyara represents selfishness and jealousy. In the end, Nyasha is chosen by the king because of her inner beauty. What an important message!
I believe that the illustrations also demonstrate the differences in the two sisters. While Manyara’s facial expressions show madness and hatefulness, Nyasha’s facial expression are gentle and caring. The African culture is also demonstrated through the illustrations. The clothing, environment, and animals are convey how this way of life is different from American life. The text and illustrations are also integrated very well. Most of the illustrations are double spread, where the text is barely noticed. The double spread also provides many details for viewers to take in.
Teaching Ideas: The beginning of the book talks about the origins and history of this meaningful story. The details of the illustrations were inspired by the ruins of an ancient city found in Zimbabwe.The flora and fauna of that region also inspired the illustrations. For students to better understand the location of Zimbabwe, the teacher could show a map.Students can also read Zimbabwe facts and Exploring Zimbabwe in pairs and then create a small poster of the information they have found. They could include the information that Zimbabwe lies on a high plateau and the terrian of this county consists of grassland and mountains. Students can then compare this information to the illustrations in the book. Do the illustrations match the description of the land and the animals that live there?
Summary: In a small Africa village, there lives two beautiful sisters whose names are Manyara and Nyasha. Manyara was always in a bad temper. She teased her sister and was very jealous of her, for everyone talks about how kind Nyasha is. Nyasha did always seem to be in good spirits, for she sang to her garden and to the little snake she named Nyoka. One morning, a messenger came from the city saying that the Great King wanted a wife. The father planned to leave the next morning, but Manyara did not want to wait. She left that night on her own. On her way, she passed a little boy who asked for some food, but she said that she did not have any food, yelling for the boy to get out of the way. She then met an older woman who gave her advice, but Manyara scolded her.
The next morning, Nyasha and her father searched for Manyara. When they found her footprints leading to the city, they decided to follow her path. When Nyasha met the young boy, she gave him the yam that she had packed for lunch. When she met the older lady, she smiled, taking her advice and gave her a small pouch filled with sunflower seeds. As Nyasha approached the city gate, she met Manyara who was screaming. She said that she saw a snake with five heads who knew all her faults and that she displeased him. Nyasha bravely climbed the steps and opened the door. On the seat of the great chief’s stool lay the little garden snake. Nyasha laughed with relief and joy, exclaiming, “My little friend, why are you here?” The garden snake then changed shape, becoming the king! He said that he was the hungry little boy in the forest and the old woman who you gave sunflower seeds. He told Nyahsa that she was the most beautiful and worthy daughter in the land. He asked her to be his wife. Villagers from all around were invited to the celebration. Manyara finally became happy for her sister, and she became a servant in her sister, the queen’s household.
Response: This is now one of my favorite Cinderella stories! The fact that Nyasha is beautiful for her character and spirit is a truth that everyone should live by. How we treat others is important and truly makes a difference in our beauty and how we are perceived by others. Nyahsa and Manyara are opposites. Nyasha represents kindness and compassion, while Manyara represents selfishness and jealousy. In the end, Nyasha is chosen by the king because of her inner beauty. What an important message!
I believe that the illustrations also demonstrate the differences in the two sisters. While Manyara’s facial expressions show madness and hatefulness, Nyasha’s facial expression are gentle and caring. The African culture is also demonstrated through the illustrations. The clothing, environment, and animals are convey how this way of life is different from American life. The text and illustrations are also integrated very well. Most of the illustrations are double spread, where the text is barely noticed. The double spread also provides many details for viewers to take in.
Teaching Ideas: The beginning of the book talks about the origins and history of this meaningful story. The details of the illustrations were inspired by the ruins of an ancient city found in Zimbabwe.The flora and fauna of that region also inspired the illustrations. For students to better understand the location of Zimbabwe, the teacher could show a map.Students can also read Zimbabwe facts and Exploring Zimbabwe in pairs and then create a small poster of the information they have found. They could include the information that Zimbabwe lies on a high plateau and the terrian of this county consists of grassland and mountains. Students can then compare this information to the illustrations in the book. Do the illustrations match the description of the land and the animals that live there?
Other interesting facts about South Africa can be shared with students. Did you know that summers begin in September and last through April? Or that there is a vast array of wildlife? In Kruger National Park there are 500 different types of birds and 147 different types of mammels?
Other facts that should be shared with students: Zimbabwe occupies part of the great plateau of southern Africa. English is the official language of Zimbabwe. The most important Bantu languages are Shona and Ndebele. The names of the characters of the book are from the Shona language: Mufaro(the father) means “happy man”; Nyasha means “mercy”; Manyara means “ashamed”; and Nyoka means “snake.” Students would enjoy learning this before reading the book. Teacher could challenge students to think about why the characters may be given this name. As a class or a in groups, students can make character sketches.
This Cinderella story is a great one to use to contrast and compare Cinderella stories around the world. In comparing this to a story such as The Rough Faced Girl by Rafe Martin, several similarties and differences are apparent. One similarity is that the Cinderella's are chosen due to their inner beauty, not their outer beauty. They both treated others with kindness and had confidence in themselves. The magic person in both stories is the prince! Both girls are also teased by their sisters. Differences include the setting and culture of the two stories.
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