Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People’s EarsA West African Tale retold by: Verna Aardema

Illustrated by: Leo and Lane Dillon

• Genre: Fantasy, African Folk literature, Myth

• Plot: Episodic

• Point of view: Objective / Dramatic

• Style: Hyperbole, Symbolic, Onomatopoeia

• Tone: Serious

• Theme: Cause and effect

• Characters: Mosquito, Iguana, Python, Rabbit, Monkey, Crow, Mother Owl, King Lion. Animal personification, Flat

• Setting: African Jungle, Backdrop

The mosquito bothers animals in the jungle. The mosquito’s bothersome actions

ultimately cause the sun not to rise.

The sun not rising was caused by a sequence of events by the animals, and this event then resulted in a backwards sequence of events.

The wise Owl brings the animals together to investigate who is to blame.

The sequence of events results in the natural phenomena of the mosquito forever buzzing in people's ears asking them if they

are still angry with him.

Author Verna Aardema

-Graduated from Michigan State and taught elementary school until 1973-Wrote predominantly retellings of African folktales-Won the Caldecott Medal in 1975 for “Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People’s Ears”-“Who’s in Rabbit’s House?” won a Lewis Carroll Shelf Award and a School Library Journal Best Book of the Year award

Illustrators Leo and Diane Dillon

-Met at Parson’s School of Design and were married in 1957-They’ve been illustrating together for over fifty years!-They’ve illustrated numerous books, for both children and adults-Won the Caldecott Medal twice (“Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People’s Ears” and “Ashanti to Zulu”)

Statements

• “There are two major statements they want to convey. ‘The first is all people, whatever the culture or race, experience the same things in living on this planet. We all have a lot in common,’ state the Dillons. ‘It is our beliefs that divide us. We have little control over what life brings us but we can change our thoughts. The second statement is that since the beginning of history, people have expressed themselves graphically in wonderful and unique ways. Art in its many forms has survived to inform us of lives long gone. Art inspires, lifts our sprit, and brings beauty to our lives. We wish to pay homage to it and the people that created it.’”

• From scholastic.com

Teaching Ideas• Study of Africa (geography, culture, climate,

history)• Science (Animals of Africa)• Ethics (Do you take responsibility for your

actions?)• English Lesson in Onomatopoeia • Write and illustrate your own folktale• Class Play!