Why Goats Smell Bad and Other Stories from Benin

by Raouf Mama, Imna Arroyo (illustrator)

A collection of nineteen folk stories from the Fon people of Benin, about orphans and twins with magical associations, spirits, animals, royalty, and farmers.

Genres: Africa, Short Stories, Benin, Fiction, Folklore, Western Africa, Fantasy

138 pages, Hardcover

First published November 1, 1997

Reviews

[Anniek · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've always enjoyed folktales, but I'm mainly familiar with the Western ones, so this was a super fun and interesting read. I really admired the author's goal in preserving these folktales, which are part of the Fon people of Benin's oral tradition. Each story is short and engaging, and ends with a quick interpretation from the author, which really helped to put the story into its larger context. Personally, I would have liked even more of an academic approach and contextualization of these stories, but of course that would have made the book less approachable. I found it really interesting to see how, even though I wasn't familiar with these particular stories, a lot of elements are similar to those in the stories I am familiar with. It was intriguing to look for these differences and similarities. I did feel a little disappointed at times to see the author had changed certain endings. I feel like I would have appreciated authenticity over palatability. I did however appreciate that the changes were explained.

Read as part of the Read Around the World book club (Benin)

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is essentially a collection of folktales and fairytales from Benin.

I appreciated how the stories were organized by theme, and after each story, the compiler of the tales added some cultural and/or historical context. The context and additional background into the characters or the “why” behind certain story themes was really helpful! I felt that I gained some understanding of traits valued by Fon culture and I quite enjoyed reading the folktales.

[szreads]

The twin mentions were my fav! All the stories tho were so interesting. I read a copy from internet archive and loved the notes at the end of each chapter.

[Meaghan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A quite interesting collection of about 20 traditional stories from the Fon people in the author's native Benin. Each one is only about four pages long, and each one has a note at the end where Dr. Mama explains the moral of the story and what it says about Fon culture. What I found very interesting is how similar many of the tales are to Western fairy tales such as Cinderella, etc. This book was in the children's section of the library and certainly children would love it, but it would be of interest to adults too, particularly those wanting to learn more about African culture. I hadn't known anything about the Fon before I read this -- hadn't even heard of them -- but Dr. Mama's notes were revealing and made me want to learn more.

[Grace · Rating 4 out of 5]

Around the World Reading Challenge: BENIN
===
Really interesting collection of translated and transcribed oral myths, legends, and folk stories from the Fon people in Benin. Pretty quick read, and I really appreciated that the author included notes at the end of each story providing some additional context.

[ಥ_ಥ · Rating 4 out of 5]

This anthology is organized into parts, making it easy to explore. The first section shares stories about orphans, twins, and other children. Moving on, the second section dives into cautionary tales and spirit stories. The third section focuses on pourquoi tales and animal wisdom, while the final part is dedicated to tales about the Fon trickster, Yogbo the Glutton.

One thing worth noting is that Mama, the editor, tweaked some story endings to make them tidier or more likable. It wasn't my favorite part, but at least he's transparent about it. Like any collection of short stories, there are ones you'll enjoy and others you might not. Picking favorites can be tricky, but I found "The Song of the Spoiled Child," "The Greedy Father," and the last two Yogbo stories.

[Barbara McEwen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a joy to read! I hope these stories do not get lost with time and I appreciate the author's diligence in collecting them and sharing them. I like to read folk tales from around the world and sometimes the stories in the collections can get a bit tedious and sort of blur together but I did not find that at all here. The stories were distinct and unique, they were comical, sometimes dark, and had lovely morals. I am not sure I always agreed with some of the authors changes to the stories but he notes them all afterwards so you can decide for yourself.

[Shelley Alongi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well there is nothing like a good imagination. I always like folktales. Of course the titles story got my attention because goats really do smell bad. :-) But I don’t think I could’ve made of that reason. Sometimes I wonder where these folktale story tellers get their ideas. They’re pretty good. The other story that intrigue me was the king who would be God. I thought OK what’s that about. I won’t give away any secrets because overall this is a pretty good book and it kept me engaged. I really should read more folktales. It is a nice break from heavier reading.

[Karen Richardson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Chosen for the “Read Around the World” challenge: BENIN. I learned about this small West African country and the Fon (largest ethnic group in Benin) through these tales (such as - among the Fon, it's taboo to call someone by name aloud or to discuss a trip at night).

The author provides a great introduction as preparation for the stories. I liked "The Prince and the Orphan," for example, which follows themes of "Cinderella" - but with some interesting differences.

[Ben Rowe · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lots of stories of this type when taken together become somewhat repetitive but this is still an interesting collection of tales.

Probably more has been done than ideal to make this readable and clear for a Western audience to the point where it maybe doesnt feel as interesting or unique as it might. Still interesting and the author does a good job of putting the fables in context.

[Abby Salmon · Rating 4 out of 5]

A collection of folktales from Benin about princes, orphans, spirits, magical animals etc. I liked how the author/translator gave a brief explanation of the moral of the story and how it relates to the traditions and beliefs of the Fon people. However he revealed in some of these that he had edited the ending to make it softer or to accentuate a different message which I wasn’t so keen on!

[Lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

This series of folktales from Benin was a great read. I loved seeing the similarities between Fon tales and stories that I heard as a child.

The only thing I didn’t like was that the author changed the endings to a few of the Fon stories and discussed the changed ending in the recap after the story. I would rather have read the authentic ending that the author heard from Fon storytellers.

[Nancy H · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a good collection of folk tales from Benin. I know very little about that country, so this book helped me shed some light on their beliefs and thoughts. I liked the comments that followed each tale that further showed the ethos of the people.

[Rosamund · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mama does a delightful job introducing the folk tale tradition of Benin to a wider audience. It is always intriguing to see the common themes that appear in stories from around the world.

[Ryan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Country: Benin

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars
I enjoyed the descriptions following the stories and the care put into the translations!

[Emily]

Benin

[pamella]

Livro lido como parte do projeto Lendo Um Livro de Cada País do Mundo: Benin.

[Maddie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A collection of folk tales of the Fon people in West Africa. I picked it up because my sister is a Peace Corps volunteer in Benin and it proved to be an entertaining collection of fables. Rated 4 because the author/translator changed a few of the traditional endings, which I believe really changed those stories' feel. If you happen to find a copy, read it! Yogbo the Glutton awaits.

[Mr. Steve · Rating 4 out of 5]

All of Raouf's books tell fun stories. Everyone should see him do storytelling...he's the best!

[Ana · Rating 3 out of 5]

Desafío "Leyendo a través de África 2023": Benin (créditos a Lee (Books With Lee)).