Sosu's Call

by Meshack Asare

When a great storm threatens, Sosu, an African boy who is unable to walk, joins his dog Fusa in helping save their village.

Genres: Picture Books, Africa, Childrens, African Literature, Ghana, Fiction, International

37 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1997

About the author

Meshack Asare (born 1945) is a popular African children's author. He was born in Ghana and currently resides in Degenfeld, Germany.

Reviews

[Abigail · Rating 4 out of 5]

Originally released in 1997 by the Accra-based Sub-Saharan Publishers, and then reprinted in this American edition in 2002 by Kane/Miller, Sosu's Call was chosen as the 1999 first place winner of the UNESCO Prize for Children's & Youth's Literature in the Service of Tolerance, in the "Books for Young Children" category, and it is not difficult to see why. A poignant tale of a disabled young boy, Sosu, growing up in a small fishing village located on a narrow strip of land between ocean and lagoon, it incorporates issues of belonging and prejudice into an inspiring story about courage in the face of great danger.

Forced to remain in his compound because the villagers believe that a boy who can't walk is bad luck, Sosu is loved and well-cared for by his family, but longs to be a part of the larger community. One day, when all the adults are far from the village - the men out fishing, the women tending to their gardens - and a terrible storm floods the area, it falls to this village outcast to warn the surrounding area, and bring help to the stranded children and old people that have, like him, been left behind...

The happy conclusion to this story, in which the villagers learn that they were wrong - a boy who can't walk isn't bad luck, after all... sometimes, if he's brave of heart, he's just the person for the job! - and Sosu gets his heart's desire, in the form of a wheelchair to help him get around, and the opportunity to go to school, and be a member of the community, brought tears to my eyes. The accompanying artwork, also by Meschack Asare, sometimes had an indistinct, blurry quality to it, but still managed to convey, with its powerful sense of movement, the urgency of certain scenes, and the emotional state of its hero. Highly recommended to anyone looking for excellent children's stories addressing issues of disability and prejudice, or for children's books from (rather than just about) Africa. I just wish more of Asare's work were available, here in the states!


Addendum: I reread Meshack Asare's Sosu's Call this morning, on my commute into the city, in order to prepare for our group discussion of it in The International Children's Book Club to which I belong, and was just as moved as the first time I picked it up, despite knowing what to expect. This is definitely a book - and an author - that deserves to be better known!

[Kathryn · Rating 4 out of 5]

A winning story about tolerance and courage from Ghanaian author/illustrator Meshack Asare. Young Sosu is physically challenged and often looked down upon in his small fishing village who fear he will anger the spirits with his presence. Loved by his family, and especially his faithful dog, Sosu still languishes without being able to attend school or find meaningful ways to contribute to the village. Until one day when his village begins to flood. The able-bodied members of the village are away working in the fields or at the neighboring village, leaving only those too weak or young to get away on their own as the water rises. Sosu has forever been told what he cannot or should not do, but now he must rise above his physical challenges to save the village that shunned him.

I found Asare's story compelling and inspiring. It would be a good choice to share with children facing physical challenges, or even children who do not have physical challenges but need to be made aware that those who may seem "disabled" are actually capable of many things, including acts of bravery and heroism.

I do wish that the publisher had seen fit to include more information on the author, or to ask for an author's note. I am glad the book is available to US audiences, but I wanted to know more about the inspiration behind the story, more details about the setting, etc. I assume it is pure fiction, but it would still have been nice to explain more about the culture and religion of the village (i.e., why they feared evil spirits) and provide some geographic information, too.

[Gabriela · Rating 3 out of 5]

fascinada con las ilustraciones

[Eleanor · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. Although first published in 1997 and set in a small village in Ghana the themes of overcoming adversity and disability are still incredibly relevant. The illustrations are beautiful, conveying Sosu's feelings as much as the wonderful words by Meshack Asare.

The book deals with the complex issues of peoples prejudices, ignorance and intolerance and how those with disabilities should be included respected in society. Sosu’s Call also addresses issues of fairness self-esteem and respecting differences. This book would be a great starting point for philosophical discussion with children. It would also be great for children to look at similarities and differences between the two countries and the children. As well as challenging children's perceptions of the lives of those that live in Africa.

Sosu's Call is about a young disabled boy living in a small village between the sea and a lagoon in Ghana. He longs to go to school like his sister and brother, Fafa and Bubu. Although they tell him everything about school he is terribly lonely during the day with only his dog and the chickens for company.
One day, when most of the villagers are at work or school, a storm hits. Sous realizes that only the old and very young are left in the village and that they are in a lot of danger. He manages to drag himself to the drum shed and starts drumming harder and harder. The villagers working in the lagoon hear it along with the neighbouring village and they run to help knowing there must be trouble. The village is saved and Sosu becomes a hero with everyone hearing about him from around the country.
When the village is rebuilt a flat path is built up to his house and he is given a wheelchair and he is allowed to join his siblings at school..

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

A wonderful story with beautiful illustrations. A bit long for my almost-four-month-old's attention span, but it's not aimed at newborns, so that's on me.

[Judy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Somewhere on a narrow strip of land between the sea and the lagoon, there is a small village. Some say it used to be bigger, ...

There's lots to like about this story. It portrays another way of life, another country, another culture. And in this culture, people fear the presence of a boy who doesn't have the use of his legs. The watercolor illustrations capture the essence of the story (and the palette is reminiscent of Andrew Wyeth, about whom I just read).

While this is a picture book, it's not for the very young. Possible it's best used with kids 7 or 8 years old.

[Krista the Krazy Kataloguer · Rating 4 out of 5]

A crippled boy saves his African village by drumming. Reminded me of The Hero of Bremen by Margaret Hodges. A Reading Rainbow book.

[Luis Ivan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Meh, la historia de un niño que no podía caminar y salvó un pueblo africano.

[Deja Hall · Rating 5 out of 5]

The genre of this text is realistic fiction, and it gives the reader a sense of hope and proudness for those that may have a disability. At the beginning of the story, I felt that Sosu's life was limited due to his lack of wheelchair and the traditional attitudes toward the disabled. Some people in his village felt he would bring bad luck, and some were terrified of his appearance. Set in a nameless West African village, this purposeful book may encourage discussion about living conditions for disabled children in countries around the world, but it has little appeal for the young non-disabled reader. This book takes you on a journey through excitement. It was very hard to find characters from different backgrounds and cultures, but this book gives you a perspective from the Ghanaian culture. Instead of dwelling on the thought of being a paraplegic and not being able to walk, the author embraces the true meaning of living your life the way you’re meant to. The character in this book doesn’t let the loss of his lower mobility affect him, but he shows how the loss has shaped him to value and accept himself and the things he can do. This book is very insightful and allows for the reader to accept and understand that although losing anything could be seen as negative, positive outlooks and emotions towards it can better any situation. This book not only represented the character's emotions and self-esteem in a positive light, but many children’s books on disabilities don’t have much of a variety of race or background. The illustrations in this book tell a story that words can't, and although the living conditions and setting is not relatable, it gives insight on what it's like to have a disability in another country. This book also encourages those that are paralyzed from the waist down that although you don’t have the ability to walk, you have the ability to help and better the people around you.

[Raquel Pilar · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sosu é um menino que vive em uma aldeia em Gana com seus pais, irmãos, cachorro e galinhas. Porém, acaba vendo o mundo apenas de dentro de casa, pois possui deficiência nas pernas e não consegue andar.
No entanto, quando uma grande tempestade ameaça seu vilarejo, prontamente o menino age para ajudar a todos que, como ele, tem dificuldades para fugir. Com o auxílio de um tam-tam, Sosu alerta toda a comunidade do que está acontecendo e evita que maiores danos fossem causados.
Apesar de não me sentir tão envolvida com a história, ela é bastante rica em detalhes e cheia de possibilidades de discussão!
Ao final do livro há uma variedade de informações acerca da vida no Oeste da África que engloba países como Benin, Costa do Marfim, Gana e Togo.

[Nathália · Rating 5 out of 5]

coisas que aprendi com este livro:

1)lagunas são lagoas salgadas

2) instrumentos de percussão são aqueles em q o som vem da batida do mesmo com mãos

3) Gana ja foi a Costa do Ouro pros imperialistas. Tem 23 milhoes de habitantes (na epoca do livro), mais q o Brasil. Grande produtora de cacau e a língua oficial é o inglês devido a colonização. Independência em 57. Virou Gana em homenagem ao primeiro grande imperio do oeste da África.


E vcs aí achando q livro infantil não conta pra bater meta de leitura ou q não se aprende nada...

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

(Applause)

[Annette · Rating 4 out of 5]

Highly recommended.

[Jesse]

Is good

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sosu, a boy living near a lagoon, cannot walk and is seen as less than and even suspicious to the people of the village until he shows great courage and saves many in the village.

[Rian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Summary: Sosu lives in a village in Ghana right on the shore of a lagoon. Though Sosu's legs aren't strong enough to walk on, he saves the village when it is threatened by a devastating storm.

Response: The story has beautiful figurative language describing the village, the storm, the sounds of the drum. The illustrations look like watercolors, and they convey the motion of the villagers running to save their neighbors from the storm and the emotions on Sosu's face as he faces this dire situation. Sosu's loving family has always supported him even though his legs keep him from doing what all the other children do, and in the end, the whole village works to celebrate Sosu and provide him with a new wheelchair. This boo would pair well with "Kami and the Yaks": both are about children with disabilities who "save the day" and both are set in other countries.
My one request of the author (or of the American publishers) would be to explain when this story is set. Because it depicts a tradional, rural village, the American reader doesn't know if this is contemporary or not; it looks like it could be "long ago and far away" until the very end when we learn that news crews came with cameras to interview Sosu. While children in Ghana know that even today many people live in villages that look like Sosu's, children here may look at the illustrations and assume this story took place a long time ago. I think it would make a powerful impact on contemporary American children to know that some children live in villages like this right now.

[Sue · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent picture book (not just for children) about a brave boy who overcomes ostracism, and who does not allow his disability to prevent him from performing a heroic action that leads to the saving of many lives, when a terrible storm hits his village. The author, Meshack Asare, is from Ghana, and Sosu's Call was originally published in Ghana.

This book is a good choice for allowing children to experience stories about other children living in different geographical area, in different cultures, and with differing physical abilities. It also models bravery and concern for the well-being of other people within the community. And there's a happy ending where some dreams come true for Sosu!

[Kelli Ryne · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book touches on so many themes, it is hard to decide which theme to emphasize. Sosu's Call received first prize for UNESCO's Children's and Youth's Literature in the Service of Tolerance. It's a good lesson in tolerance of those who are physically different, in particular, those with disabilities. It would be a good book when teaching the various results and members of the Civil Rights movement in the United States. It would also be a fantastic resource for illuminating African cultures. It touches on talking drums, the village lifestyles and superstitions as well as the polytheistic faiths of the region. I would recommend this book for either lesson.

[Jenny · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a beautifully written picture book! Sosu is disabled, unable to walk so the villagers are unkind to him. Because he can't walk, he is unable to attend school. Fortunately, he has a lovely, supportive family and a devoted dog. Ultimately, Sosu is able to save his village and prove his worth in spite of his disability. While the illustrations would not normally be my favorite, they suited the tone and theme of this book quite well. Wonderful read to share about disabilities.

[Antonia · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great book to read to children about conquering their fears, never giving up and looking for solutions to problems. If Sosu would have not done something to alert the villagers her could have died along with the others who were there. It also showed the determination of a child who had been ridiculed because he was different. Although he was unable to walk his still was able to become a hero.

[Nancy · Rating 5 out of 5]

A book that would not have been originally published in the U.S.(Thanks Kane/Miller for bringing this one here!). I am grateful that Sub-Saharan Press did publish it first. Sosu has a physical disability and a social one as well -- the people of his village. He becomes a hero proving that it sometimes takes a child to educate a village.

[LeAnne · Rating 3 out of 5]

He finds the strength and courage to struggle to where the talking drums are kept, and he sends out a call for help. The adults hurry back from the lagoon and the fields, and Sosu (with his dog) becomes a local hero. His reward comes in the form of a wheelchair on which he can go to school.

[Robyn Simmons · Rating 3 out of 5]

This story tells about a young boy who lives in a small village. He is known as a lazy boy who brings bad luck to his father. During a storm, the elderly people pf the village must care for the young children. It's up to Sosu to showcase his talent and do something...

[Edward Sullivan · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful, inspiring story about empowerment and overcoming limitations set in Africa.

[Linda Atkinson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Winner 1999 UNESCO children's & Youth Literature in the Service of Tolerance with wonderful illustrations.

[Cherisse · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

see also Margaret Hodge's THE WAVE.

[The Styling Librarian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sosu’s Call by Meshack Asare – all ages – Here is a book I was incredibly grateful to read. Addresses intolerance, presumptions, prejudice, superstitions and community needs. Powerful.

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

A 2001 IBBY Outstanding Book for Young People with Disabilities

[Daniel Franklin]

I really liked the inclusion of a child with a disability in this story. In addition, I love that it talks about natural disaster.

The illustrations in this book are made using watercolors. I believe that the illustrations leave a lot up for interpretation by the reader, which I think is good.