Mabela the Clever

by Margaret Read MacDonald, Tim Coffey (Illustrator)

Pick of the Lists, ABA
A 2001 Parents' Choice Picture Book Silver Honor
Highly Commended Book–2002 Charlotte Zolotow Award Committee
Texas Library Association 2002 2 X 2 Reading List
Children's Literature Choice List 2002
Storytelling World Award-2002 Winner-Stories for Young Listeners
2001 Aesop Accolade, American Folklore Society
2003 Washington Children's Choice Master List

"MacDonald's retelling of this Limba tale is engineered for storytime success."― School Library Journal starred review

Mabela may be the smallest mouse in the village, but her father has taught her to be clever. And this cleverness comes in handy when the cat comes, inviting everyone to join the secret Cat Society. The mice line up, with Mabela at the front and the Cat at the back. They march into the forest, singing the secret Cat song and shouting FO FENG! Only clever Mabela realizes the Cat is up to no good!

Genres: Picture Books, Folk Tales, Animals, Africa, Storytime, Childrens, Nonfiction

32 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2000

About the author

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Biography
Dr. Margaret Read MacDonald travels the world telling stories....always on the lookout for more great folktales to share. She shapes these found stories into tellable tales which anyone can share with ease. Filling her folktale collections with these delightful tales, she creates perfect read alouds for you and your family. MRM wants everyone to experience the joy of a beautifully told tale. She hopes you will read them a few times...then put down the book...put down the electronic device...and just TELL the story to your children!

Some of her favorite folktales she expands into picture books...hopefully with delightfully readable language while will roll right out of your mouth. Share them with your children and then....act the tales out! Revisit the tales by TELLING them! At bedtime. While on the road. Fill your pockets with great stories to share wherever you go.

Joining her Folklore Ph.D. with her 30 plus years as a children's librarian, Margaret brings folktales to life in playful, lilting language which should delight both reader and listener.

See her performance schedule at: www.margaretreadmaconald.com

Reviews

[Ronyell · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have read many African folktales over the years and I have enjoyed almost every single one of them! So, I stumbled upon this new African folktale retold by Margaret Read MacDonald called “Mabela the Clever” along with illustrations by Tim Coffey and man, it was a truly fantastic tale that every child should read!

Mabela is the smallest mouse in her village and even though it has been said that the mice are all foolish creatures, Mabela proves to be more clever than the other mice, especially since her father had taught her how to be more aware of her surroundings in this little quote:

“Mabela, when you are out and about, keep your ears open and LISTEN.
Mabela, when you are out and about, keep your eyes open and LOOK AROUND YOU.
Mabela, when you are speaking, PAY ATTENTION TO WHAT YOU ARE SAYING.
Mabela, if you have to move, MOVE FAST!”

One day, the Cat came to the Mouse Village and she invited the mice to her secret Cat Society where she can teach them the secrets of being a cat. All the mice were excited about this and they met up with the Cat at her house and the Cat tells them that they need to learn this song:

“When we are marching,
We never look back!
The Cat is at the end,
Fo Feng!
Fo Feng!”

The Cat then tells the mice that they must march in a straight line towards the forest and as the mice were marching while singing the song, the Cat ended up capturing each mouse one by one due to the fact that no one was watching the Cat as she performs this heinous act.

Can Mabela save the other mice?

Read this book to find out!

Oh man, how could I not check this book out before? Margaret Read MacDonald has done an excellent job at capturing the humor and the tension of this tale as we laugh at the mice following the Cat and suspecting that nothing is wrong, while at the same time, we feel some tension in the story in hoping that the mice make it out of the Cat’s grasp by the end of the book! I also loved the fact that Mabela’s father was able to teach his daughter about the dangers of the outside world and how to avoid those dangers as it shows the importance of a parent trying to protect their children by giving them warnings about surviving in the outside world ahead of time. Tim Coffey’s artwork had the perfect blend of intensity and humor as the mice look more goofy with their large vacant eyes while the cat looks more menacing with her slanted green eyes and orange fur that really makes her stand out from the colorful atmosphere of the artwork.



Parents should know that the cat might scare smaller children, especially since she wants to eat the mice and even tricked them into her little game. Parents might want to warn their children about the consequences of going off with strangers without knowing the full facts of the situation and teach children how to defend themselves whenever they are in such a situation.

Overall, “Mabela the Clever” is a truly fantastic book about the importance of heeding warnings about dangerous situations in life and showing how parents can be extremely resourceful when it comes to teaching their children about the ways of the world. I would recommend this book to children ages five and up since the cat might scare smaller children.

Review is also on: Rabbit Ears Book Blog

[Cheryl · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another winner from Margaret Read MacDonald. The pictures aren't 'pretty' but they're perfectly appropriate. The lesson of the fable and the author's note are valuable. My only quibble is that this is a little *too* simple for me. My inner child loves a lot of picture-books, but my inner toddler is fussy....

[Robb Rugeroni · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read MacDonald, Margaret. Mabela the Clever (2001). Illustrated by Coffey, Tim.
Small. Clever. Heroine? This African folktale about a village of mice visited by a cat with an offer they simply cannot refuse comes from a story told by the Limba people. Little Mabela must come to terms with joining the villainous cat on a quest to join a secret society while also staying true to the lessons taught to her by her father; to listen, to look around, to pay attention to what she says and when she must move, move fast! This winner of the 2001 Aesop Accolade Award follows a traditional action motif intended to develop children’s independence and moral code of right and wrong. At the beginning of the book, the author includes the music to a song to be sung that adds to richly illustrated paintings with vivid backdrops and a repeating border of color around the text. A wonderful story for reading aloud. Target audience: pre-kindergarten to early elementary students ages 4 to 8.

[Sarah Hutchinson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mabela is a very clever little mouse, thanks to the advice her father gave her. When a clever cat comes to the mouse village to invite the foolish mice to join the secret cat society, all the mice end up marching into the woods singing a secret cat song. Mabela is at the front of this line and thanks to the wisdom that her father had pasted on to her she escapes the cat and helps free the mice the cat had caught. And with her cleverness she shares with the mice so that all the mice become clever too. This story is a great example of how one tiny mouse can make a difference when they use their head. The illustrations really bring the story to life! And I especially love that the mice are different colors and the background is so detailed. This story definitely stands out from the crowd.

This would be a wonderful read aloud for 1st grade – 3rd grade.

[Kirsten · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of my absolute favorite read-alouds. It's a story told by the Limba people of Sierra Leone, Africa. It's very funny, and also teaches an excellent lesson:
"When you are out and about, keep your ears open and LISTEN.
When you are out and about, keep your eyes open and LOOK AROUND YOU.
When you are speaking, PAY ATTENTION TO WHAT YOU ARE SAYING.
And if you have to move, MOVE FAST!"

I'd say that's relevant to just about everyone!

[Lisa Vegan · Rating 3 out of 5]

The pictures are great and the moral of the story is great, but its execution is a bit too gloomy (despite the happy ending) and paranoid inducing for my taste. It would work well as a read aloud book to children who are not too sensitive or easily frightened.

I did really like the cultural background information given for the grownups.

[Margot · Rating 2 out of 5]

A cautionary folk tale, for children, from Sierra Leon, Africa. The illustrations aren't beautiful, but bright and colorful. The idea is that cleverness can be taught and most mice lack in that area. So, the cat, in the neighborhood, almost destroyed the mice of a village, but Mabela had listened to her father and realized that she needed to follow his directions.

[Cassandra Gelvin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Clever girl.

It's not bad. It's got a good message. It's apparently based on a story from the Limba people in the Sierra Leone area of Africa. It's kind of a tale of "the ancient times" where there are a bunch of mice and a cat. The cat is clever and the mice are stupid, except for Mabela the mouse, whose father taught her cleverness. The cat comes to the mice and says, "Dear mice, I come to offer a special invitation. It has been decided that the mice may join the secret Cat Society!" All the mice fall for this, of course, and all of them go to the cat's house at the arranged time, and the cat teaches them all the secret Cat Society song, which goes: "When we are marching, we never look back! The cat is at the end, fo feng! Fo feng!" So they march into the forest in a line, the cat at the end of the line, singing the song loudly, and as they walk, the cat takes the mice from the rear one-by-one and puts them in a sack. Mabela, as the smallest, is in the front. She starts realizing that fewer mice are singing, and then dives into the bushes and the cat gets stuck in some thorns and she frees the mice from the bag and wins.

It's a good example of a story where cleverness wins the day versus cleverness rather than versus fools. She's not particularly clever, though, she's just observant and surrounded by oblivious mice. It's kind of interesting that Mabela is specifically taught cleverness by her father. I'm not sure whether that's good because it shows the father in a nurturing role, or bad because the male is the one who is clever. I'm also not sure why the father isn't also clever. Maybe he teaches it to her without knowing it himself? It certainly implies that he is in the line of mice as well.

The explicit message, printed in the text of the last page, is, "If a person is clever, it is because someone has taught them their cleverness."

I wasn't that interested in the art style. It's kind of strange. And the fact that the story relies on everybody in the story other than the cat and Mabela being complete idiots is what separates this from being higher-rated.

Message: Pay attention to what's going on around you so that dangerous things don't happen to you.

For more children's book reviews, see my website at http://www.drttmk.com.

[Lara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Liked the moral to this fable a lot. Be alert and pay attention are always important skills to learn. "Pay attention to what you are saying" is so rarely stressed as a message to kids, but really needs to be. The idea of conscious presence, I suppose.
Despite the really good message, there was something about this story that was just a little off for me. I know that the cat-mouse dynamic is used in dozens of stories worldwide, so not too bothered by that. I think it's the blind obedience of the mice. I'm not one for the herd mentality, so the marching in a row Just Because with the Cat looming behind? Very foolish mice indeed. I suppose if the story was set in modern times, the Cat could just send all the mice a new app for their little smart phones, and the same happily zoned-out oblivious herd would result (or am I just being cynical?). I'm probably just in a mood this morning, reading too much into it. :)
The pictures are nice and bright, though, which helped balance out the little marching hoard and the looming Cat.
As for storytimes, maybe for an older bunch? The story's a little long and unfamiliar for my younger ones. The pictures are very bright and there's lots of repetition, especially with mice's song, so those would help keep them focused. Could be a good addition for a storytime on cats, mice, or folk tales.
So yes, despite the Big Brother Cat and his oblivious minions, I did like the book. I like that it's an unfamiliar story, something new to bring into a storytime. I enjoyed the pictures, and I loved the moral. Still worth the stars.

[Kiersten Anger · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mabela the Clever is a mouse who lives in Africa with a village of mice. Mabela's village of mice are all tricked one day by the Cat to become his lunch. The Cat's trick doesn't fool Mabela because she recalls the sound advice given to her by her father. This story is great for younger children. It teaches the value of respecting the wisdom of your elders. My favorite line from the story is at the end when author, Margaret Read MacDonald, mentions a saying from Limba "If a person is clever, it is because someone has taught them their cleverness". I appreciated how MacDonald included at the beginning of the book a brief explanation of the origin of the African story, as well as a way to make the story interactive for children by singing the secret Cat Society Song from the story. I can just imagine reading that first page to a group of children and can hear them getting excited knowing they are about to learn a song and then play a game to it.
The illustrations are reminiscent of Africa. Illustrator, Tim Coffey, has an interesting way of creating texture. He seems to layer and scratch away at layers of colors to create the texture. Each illustration takes up two pages, giving the eye lots of space to look at. Each mouse is a color that isn't usually found on mice. Most of the mice are purple, green, and gray, but our heroine is a tiny little red mouse that stand out amongst the rest. Mabela is easy to spot from page-to-page with young children.

[Hannah Gold-Garvey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mabela the Clever is a work of traditional literature, telling the oral tale of Mabela, a mouse who uses the advice of her father to outwit and outrun a clever cat. This picture book uses exclamation marks and upper case text in addition to repetition, making this a good book for students to improve reading fluency as well as a great choice for read alouds.

[Kest Schwartzman · Rating 5 out of 5]

This picture book belongs in every library. You should go out, right now, and procure a copy.

[Kris Dersch · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book has grown on me a lot in the years since I first read it. I used to find it kind of annoying, but I think I've found my rhythm as a storyteller because I like it for read aloud now.

[Elizabeth Edwards · Rating 5 out of 5]

must read, so creative fun, illustrations are just so amazing, very enjoyable.

[Sarah Underwood]

Picture book about a brave mouse. Great moral lessons. Includes idea for a fun game for kids to play.

[Christine N-K · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great folk tale on using your senses and your gut to help you observe and make good decisions.

[Sherri · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun book to read aloud.

[Jaime · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun little tale.

[Sarah Nottingham · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mabela The Clever by Margaret MacDonald is about a clever mouse outwitting a conniving cat. The story starts with a father mouse teaching his little daughter mouse, Mabela, about cleverness. She must keep her ears open, listen, observe her surrounding and pay attention to what you are saying. One day a cat comes to visit the village and informs the mice that if they come to secret meeting, he will teach them all the secrets of the cat. All the mice arrived the next day. The cat ordered them to line up in a straight line, march into the forest and never look back, continually shouting Fo Feng. Mabela was in the front because she was the smallest. Every time the mice shouted Fo Feng the cat would snatch a mouse. Mabela suddenly remembered what her father had told her and decided to listen she could her the cat coming closer, then looked around and noticed she was the last mouse. Mabela ran and hid, ultimately causing the cat to become stuck in a pile of thorns. Mabela became a story and passed down the story through the mice generations.

Mabela The Clever By Margaret MacDonald would be a good story for Kindergarten or first-grade children. You could incorporate this story into a lesson at the beginning of the year when discussing your classroom rules. The story emphasizes listening, keeping your eyes open and observing what is going on and pay attention to what you are saying, all aspects that help a classroom run effectively and efficiently. You could read this story aloud to the class. Throughout the story stop and emphasize the importance of what Mabela is doing; problem-solving using the tools her father gave her. At the resolution discuss with the class why the little moose defeated the cat and what tools they can use to be successful in the classroom like Mabela was with the cat. The story would be an entertaining and effective way to introduce some of the important classrooms rules, and things that will help the students throughout their life. Another entertaining aspect of the story is it encompasses music, this would be great for auditory learners.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mabela, the mouse, has been taught to be clever due to her father's teachings. So when Cat tempts her and some other mouselings into joining a Secret Cat Society, she gradually becomes wary and suspicious. We're anxious to see how quickly she will figure out Cat's ruse. And, this tale wraps up with a meaningful reminder of the lessons: listen, look around, think about what you're saying, and move fast if needed!

From the Limba people of Sierra Leon. What other values does the story highlight? Cleverness is passed down through the generations.

[Connie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good story with an unusual moral - at least, I've never heard "Pay attention and THINK about what you're saying!" presented as a moral before, although God knows it ought to be.

No mousies are harmed in the reading of this story. My only real concern with it is that I have no idea how authentic it is.

[Amy Goldstein · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mabela's father teaches her how to be clever and this will benefit her and future generations. This book is a wonderful book to perform with opportunities for different voices and acting out the scenes. I used this book to identify the central message of a story. Many lessons can be gained from this fantastic folktale.

[Ruth · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Limba grandparents say, 'if a person is clever, it is because someone has taught them their cleverness."

This line is indicative of the oral tradition. Mabela's father thought her cleverness and later on Mabela herself teaches her story to her kids.

[Margie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is an African folktale about wisdom. The mouse Mabela remembers things that she was taught by her father and barely escapes the "fo feng" of the cat. It wasn't as good as some of the other folktales that I have read this year.

[Gin · Rating 4 out of 5]

A retelling of an African Folktale that is fun for preschool through early elementary school audiences. Great Read Aloud!

[Cheryl Meibos · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love reading this book to K-1. I use my "cat voice" and
have the kids tell me what Mabela learned at the end of the
story.

[Christine Turner · Rating 5 out of 5]

An African folktale about a mouse who pays close attention to her surroundings and avoids being tricked by the cat. www.hcpl.net

[Cresencia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fo feng! Great story with a moral.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good for preschool story time- use the song as an activity after reading the book- make mouse masks, cat mask, mabela mask to pass out to the kids.

[Lorraine Der]

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