OMOTEJI'S BABY BROTHER

by Mary-Joan Gerson ‧ RELEASE DATE: May 1, 1974

Praise be to our newborn/ He cannot speak, but wise men take glory in him./ . . .He cannot walk, but the elders dance at his birth./ . . . He cannot eat, but drinks our love."" What seems an outburst of resentful irony when first composed by Omoteji, a Nigerian boy made to feel unwanted everywhere on the day after his brother's birth, becomes Omoteji's proud gift at the naming ceremony when his parents and their guests praise and dance to his drum-backed song. Just as Gerson's unexceptional treatment of a familiar problem is redeemed by her sympathetic and authentic depiction of Nigerian customs, Moon's static scenes and limited range of colors still get across the characters' attractive variety of dress and warm community and family relationships.

Pub Date: May 1, 1974

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: 48

Publisher: Walck

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 1974

Categories: CHILDREN'S