The Vingananee and the Tree Toad: A Liberian Tale

by Verna Aardema, Ellen Weiss (Illustrator)

A strange animal called the Vingananee beats up all the other animals and eats their stew until the tiny Tree Toad offers to fight him.

Genres: Picture Books, Africa, Childrens

32 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1983

About the author

A prolific American children's author and teacher, Verna Norberg Aardema Vugteveen - more commonly known as Verna Aardema - was born in 1911 in New Era, Michigan. She was educated at Michigan State University, and taught grade school from 1934-1973. She also worked as a journalist for the Muskegon Chronicle from 1951-1972. In 1960 she published her first book, the collection of stories, Tales from the Story Hat. She went on to write over thirty more books, most of them folkloric retellings. Her picture-book, Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People's Ears, won co-illustrators Leo and Diane Dillon a Caldecott Medal. Aardema was married twice, and died in 2000 in Fort Myers, Florida. (source: Wikipedia)

Reviews

[Abigail · Rating 3 out of 5]

When Spider and his workers - Lion, Buck Deer and Rat - are confronted by a strange hairy creature called the Vingananee, who steals their stew every day and eats it, the companions each try to defeat the thief. But the Vingananee is too strong, and each of them ends up tied to a tree. Finally, tiny Tree Frog steps in, and with a little help from heaven, has better luck...

Retold from the tale Try Your Strength in the Liberian collection, Spider and Other Stories, this tale teaches the lesson that sometimes it is better to be small, if you are willing to ask for help, than big and strong, but determined to do it alone. Accompanied by Ellen Weiss' charming illustrations, which portray the Vingananee as a sort of blob with limbs, The Vingananee and the Tree Toad is sure to please young folklore lovers.

I myself was charmed by the little postscript, which informs the reader that Aunt Clara (Mrs. Clara Letitia Blaine-Wilson), the original collector of this tale, and a well-known radio storyteller, was so well-regarded in Liberia, that she was given a state funeral upon her death in 1979. Now that's appreciation for story!

[Sarah · Rating 2 out of 5]

Traditional literature, trickster tale from West Africa
In this spider story, the tree frog is the hero who outsmarts the huge "Vingananee" shown as a gorilla-type creature. None of the other animals in the household are able to keep the Vingananee from eating their nightly stew. Trickster tales are more engaging when cleverness vs bravery are the cause of the win. This is a ho-hum tale. Cartoony illustrations.

[The Brothers · Rating 4 out of 5]

An African folk tale about a creature (the Vingananee) who keeps disrupting the lives of Spider, Rat, Lion, Buck Deer, and Tree Toad who are simple farmers. The Vingananee shows up everyday and fights with whomever is at the house, ties them to the tree out back, and then eats the stew. In the end, it's the Tree Toad who ends up defeating the Vingananee through a little Divine Intervention.

Great illustrations.

[Paula · Rating 3 out of 5]

A strange animal called the Vingananee beats up all the other animals and eats their stew until the tiny Tree Toad offers to fight him. Lot of text

[Karen Maurer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good audience participation story. But the ending? Hmmmm.