Alo- A Collection of Yoruba Folktales

by Omolara Olarerin

Old legends passed down from generation to generation...
Long-forgotten translations of Yoruba folktales and ballads you've never heard before all collected in this wonderful folktale collection called Alo.
Here you will find stories of the crafty tortoise's exploits, how wild animals got their spots, how a spirit husband duped the proud Olajumoke, how Oluronbi lost her lovely daughter, find out what secrets the paw paw leaves tell, among many others.
These Yoruba folktales from West Africa are sure to please your senses, make you laugh, and leave you in reflection.
Written to delight both the young and old. Perfect for bed time stories for the kids or to just get lost in the enchanting world of African folktales.

66 pages, ebook

First published February 10, 2022

About the author

Omolara is a creative writer and book lover who enjoys stories and storytelling. She has been writing since she was 11 years old and started sharing her stories on Wattpad at age 15.

She is a graduate of soil science at the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta. She is currently pursuing her academics as a master's degree holder in International Business.

She is passionate about creating and sharing stories that transport her readers away from ordinary realities and into captivating worlds they will want to return to again and again.

Reviews

[SANDRA · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you missed some kind of folk tales as a child, Alo will fill that Vacuum. It is full of interesting stories. Oh!! How I love, “Olajumoke” and “The Girl Who Laughed Last”.

I love also that, these stories are well communicated in simple and unique style, very understandable. Any tribe can read them.

I read Alo first, and I couldn’t but read to my children. This act was very soothing and I am sure my children will cherish the lasting memories it will bring.

Omolara Olarerine Oluwaseyi has done well by creating these beautiful memories for her readers.

[Temi · Rating 4 out of 5]

This brought back a lot of memories, a very nostalgic read!

[Jumoke Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nostalgic read. 😊

[Natasha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Alo, and interwoven string of words that brings back childhood memories when everything was fun and free. Thumbs up to the writer for this.

[Sayofunmi Juba · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing way of preserving the Yoruba Culture



What an amazing collection of stories. Stories that should be preserved for generations to come, I am happy we found writers like you who have found a modern way of telling these stories so they won’t go extinct.

I really loved all the stories, especially Alantere, for some reason I didn’t hear that particular one as a child and I had a lot to learn from it. From the story Alantere and Olurombi, I learnt the importance of contentment, and not making promises that can’t be fulfilled, from the Story Alade Hu Wo o, I was able to understand the value of keeping secrets and I really learnt a great lesson, never tell anyone, not even one person your secret, cos it’s not a secret anymore, Those are my three favourites.

It’s a book I will buy over and over again and keep for my children and generations to come, cos with the moral decay and value disintegration in our society today, we need these stories to build the morals of our children to come.

I also really love the smooth style of the writer, she made the book very easy to read and I smiled from the beginning to the end of the book.

P:S dear writer, keep writing these stories, they are super amazing😊

[Ayo · Rating 5 out of 5]

For readers like me who, unfortunately as a kid, did not have access to interesting stories like the ones in this book, this collection is needed and appreciated. It is synonymous to a museum, and Lara did a great job in preserving history and culture by putting these stories together with her great writing skills. I especially like and appreciate the inclusion of the songs; they give the stories a lot of life.

Well done and thank you, Omolara.

[Vince Igwe · Rating 5 out of 5]

I did enjoy the book. Although Alo may seem to be a children storybook, it also trigger nostalgic moment of when I was a child listening to several variation of the stories. I highly recommend this books to parents and guardians, especially those who want their wards having a little bit of the Yoruba culture as shown in the stories of Alo.

[Soogun Omoniyi]

Àló brings brings back so many vivid memories in the most beautiful way.

It is an enchanting read. Short. Sharp. Premium. This book captures the essence of our childhood perfectly.

It is one really cute book I'd love to read again and again.

[Jeremiah Babasanmi · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is so cool, I'm Yoruba and I didn't even know some of the stories; Thanks to the writer for writing this.

[Biyai Garricks · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an ARC of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review. Thank you Omolara.

Reading this collection brought a feeling of nostalgia, taking me back to my childhood days when we watched the popular TV program aired all over Nigeria titled “Tales by Moonlight”. Although I am not Yoruba, most of the stories are familiar as there seems to be different versions of them within several Nigerian tribes but told in a variety of ways. As usual, the tortoise features the most as the main character in quite a number of the stories, famous for his cunningness and sometimes greed. All the stories end with a moral lesson and some were really funny too. The stories were well written and I am glad that the author still told them as well as I remember.

I enjoyed reading this collection and would definitely share it with my children as a way getting them to connect to my own childhood and also enjoy these interesting stories.

I highly recommend to children and adults alike. Kudos to the author for this brilliant collection.

[Omolara Olarerin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved writing it