This item from the Kenyan paper The Daily Nation http://www.nationmedia.com/dailynation/ is forwarded from H- Swahili... DZO
New Swahili story books for the young Published: 2/26/2006 By: PAUL LETIWA Title: Shadows in the Mist Author: Corney Gichuki Publisher: Focus Books (2005) We are told literature is ageless. And that everyone, both young and old, is bound to be touched by a given literary material. In particular, young minds almost always get manipulated and enthused when they read a given piece of literature. Children tend to hold on to a book's theme for a longer time and even make it a topic of conversation. This is evident in such situations where children rehearse and narrate stories they have read without referring to a book. They tend to interpret fiction as fact. Children's interests But writing a story that meets children's interests is not an easy undertaking as many people generally assume. It takes a great deal of time, creativity and inventiveness to produce a text that will interest the child. Unlike adult fiction, the art of writing for children calls for simplicity and directness in the use of language. The writer must adjust his/her thoughts and ideas to the child's level. This will enable the readers (children) to grasp the content easily and clearly. Reading Mnyama Mwenye Huruma by Rebecca Nandwa, Neema Aunguza Nyumba and Katala Na Genge La Wezi by Jackson Kalindimya (East African Educational Publishers), children will undoubtedly spot the stark reality of their childhood surroundings. In Mnyama Mwenye Huruma, the writer's fictitious thoughts tend to create an element of authenticity in the reader's mind. Nandwa tackles this fundamental issue artistically using character Waheelwa, a little girl-child who is thrown into the bush immediately after birth. Mfalme Omari, Waheelwa's father, had threatened to kill any of his wives who bore him a baby girl. King favoured boys Mfalme Omari favoured boys, since they were a source of pride to him as a king. Waheelwa is thrown into the bush by her mother for fear that the King would kill her. Okunani, an ogre who has human features, finds the little girl and saves her life. He takes her to his home at the top of a hill, where she grows up to be a brilliant child. Wafula (Waheelwa's twin) is the one who informs his mother about the girl he met at the local water point. As the narrative ends, we get to know how Waheelwa grew to be a strong minded girl in changing the common perception of boy's superiority in society. Even her father, Mfalme Omari, is influenced by his daughter's concepts of change. Kalindimya's Neema Aunguza Nyumba focuses on children's forgetful minds. In the story, Neema is instructed to watch over cooking food, but when she sees her friends playing outside, she joins them. After a short while, the hut catches fire due to her carelessness. In Katala Na Genge La Wezi , Kalindimya portrays children as detectives. Katala (main character), an aspiring footballer, discovers a gangster's hideout in the neighbourhood. Police are informed about the incident and the suspects rounded up. Katala is later rewarded. The narrative movement (omniscient) used in all three texts revolves around children's milieu. It switches from the present to the past and events to characters. All the episodes are arranged in a natural order, facilitating understanding of the stories by children. Gangster's hideout Both Nandwa and Kalindimya have incorporated captivating Kiswahili stylistic devices to enrich their narrative techniques and to give the stories a humorous perspective. These include: Figures of speech (tamathali za usemi), hyperbole (chuku), imagery (taswira), songs (nyimbo), simile (tashbihi) and sarcasm (dhihaka). The two budding authors for children's titles are conversant with the stark reality of childhood. They draw an interesting picture of children's upbringing. The characters in their books are mainly children who portray factuality and aptness. The authors' target audience will get to know how and why some things happen to them. The three titles promise to enhance Kiswahili speaking among children as they enjoy what is written about them. ----------------------------------------------------------------- Nation Media Group all rights reserved 2004 Website: http://www.nationmedia.com For querries or info: [EMAIL PROTECTED] ------------------------------------------------------------------- Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/AfricanLanguages/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
