The Mother of Monsters
A Tale from South Africa
NEW EDITION!
Mischievous Ntombi, the Chief's daughter, isn't at all afraid of the fearsome Ilunge River. But when she goes to swim there, she enrages the Mother of Monsters! Soon this fearsome creature, with a gigantic head, bulging eyes and thick, slimy scales, is terrorizing the countryside, eating cattle, children, and everything in between. Can the brave hunter Sobabili save his village and save Ntombi too? This chapter-book retelling of a Bantu folktale from South Africa comes to life with immersive, full-color art by favorite Barefoot illustrator Sophie Fatus. The illustrations on every page empower beginning readers to grasp more advanced vocabulary and sentence structure.
Key Selling Points:
- STRONG FEMALE PROTAGONIST: Ntombi’s brave and active personality offers an empowering, feminist message to young readers of all genders.
- MONSTER APPEAL: Starring a silly-looking yellow monster who gobbles down cows and people — and then burps them back up! — this chapter book bursts with kid appeal.
- FULL-COLOR ILLUSTRATIONS: Immersive, full-color artwork by favorite Barefoot illustrator Sophie Fatus allows children who are just beginning to enjoy chapter books to grasp more advanced vocabulary and sentence structure.
- INDIGENOUS SOUTH AFRICAN FOLKTALE: The Mother of Monsters brings to life a folktale from the Bantu people of what is now South Africa.