Stories Gogo Told Me — Lisa Grainger

In almost every village in Africa lives a storyteller. Telling stories is not her official job. By day she may be a Gogo (or granny), a teacher, a farmer or a seamstress. But by night, round the fire, she will sit, surrounded by young children, old friends, neighbours and travellers, and will tell you of how it was in the olden days, when the Earth was young, when man was a hunter-gatherer, and when animals roamed wild throughout the continent. The author spent several months hiking around the villages, towns, farms and deserts of Zimbabwe, Zambia, Botswana and South Africa, asking people who can't read or write to tell her their favourite stories. The result is this children's treasury of legends and fables, of witchdoctors and kingdoms of strange creatures and talking animals, which celebrates Africa and its ancient storytelling culture.