Mee-An and the Magic Serpent

by Baba Wagué Diakité

Beautiful Mee-An wants to get married but can’t seem to find a man who is as perfect as she is. One day, however, her sister Assa finds Mee-An the perfect mate. Mee-An is determined to marry him, even after a series of bad omens occur. Off the sisters go to live with the perfect man, only to discover he is not at all what he seems to be. Will Assa be able to save her sister from a terrible fate? Baba Wagué Diakité proves himself a wonderful storyteller, and his brilliant art brings village life alive.

Genres: Picture Books, Africa

32 pages, Hardcover

First published March 19, 2007

Reviews

[Barbara McEwen · Rating 4 out of 5]

An enjoyable tale and beautiful illustrations.

[Panda Incognito · Rating 4 out of 5]

This picture book shares a folktale from Mali, which teaches the lesson that you should not judge by appearances only. The text and illustrations work well together, and the book also includes some words from Bambara, Mali's national language. For example, when the villain is singing a song, the words appear in both Bambara and English, and this is a great touch that gives the book additional teaching value.

[Elizabeth]

This story is in the same vein as the titular story of Ifeoma Onyefulu's The Girl Who Married a Ghost: and Other Tales from Nigeria .

While in Onyefulu's version I loved how the ghost worked, here Assa in her fly disguise was totally my favorite part of this story. And on reflection, there's something about the fact that it's her sister who saves the protagonist -- female solidarity, that it's a woman who recognizes something is not-right about this man ... it's interesting that although the groom takes the bride far away from her family, it is apparently traditional for her younger sister to accompany her (as this review points out, the book could have really benefited from some informational notes -- which most of Baba Wagué Diakité's picturebooks do have at the end, so I'm not sure why this one didn't).

I remain uncomfortable with folktales that vilify women for being vain etc. I understand the point about "Seeing a person is not the same as knowing them," but at the beginning part of me was still like, "Let her choose whoever she wants" -- I think I'm reacting against a culture of women being told that they should't think too highly of themselves (on any dimension), that they don't deserve what they want, that they can't be trusted to make their own decisions, etc.

[Dale · Rating 4 out of 5]

Age of readership: 4-8
Genre: Picture Book
Diversity: Bilingual in song, deception
Description of the illustrations: Colorful pictures painted on ceramic tiles.
Personal response to the book: Nice folktale from Mali about an older looking for the perfect husband without a single blemish or scar. She marries a serpent disguised as a man without knowing who he is. A lesson is to be learned from the story.
Curricular and programming connections: The book can be used as a folktale story time and teach that knowing someone is different that seeing someone.

[Kim · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought this was an interesting tale that students would enjoy. It teaches student to see past physical description and the real beauty is in the person.

[Abigail · Rating 4 out of 5]

Two sisters must contend with a very unusual bridegroom in this picture book retelling of a traditional Malian folktale from talented author/illustrator Baba Wagué Diakité. The beautiful but vain Mee-An is determined not to accept any man with visible flaws as a husband, and her younger sister, the magical Assa attempts to help her. When such a man finally appears in their village, Assa (who can transform herself into a fly to investigate) warns her sister that something isn't right about the newcomer, who does not smell human. Heedless of all warnings, Mee-An marries anyway, and she and Assa follow the stranger to his distant home by a river. What neither realize is that the bridegroom is a snake, grooming them until they are fit to eat. When they discover this horrifying fact, they need the help of heron to escape their enemy, and make their way safely home...

Mee-An and the Magic Serpent is the third folkloric picture book I have read from Diakité, following upon his The Magic Gourd and The Hatseller and the Monkeys —the fourth book overall, if you count Adwoa Badoe's folktale collection, The Pot of Wisdom: Ananse Stories , which he illustrated—and like those other titles, I enjoyed it immensely! The story itself was engaging, offering both an exciting adventure and a lesson about not valuing appearances before substance and character, when it comes to the people in our lives. The accompanying artwork, painted on ceramic tiles, is gorgeously colorful, with a distinctive and appealing folk aesthetic. Unlike the creator's other books, there is no extensive afterword here, which is a little bit of a disappointment, but leaving that aside, this was a very appealing book, and is one I would recommend to young folklore enthusiasts, and to anyone seeking traditional stories from Mali.

[Anneke Alnatour · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this story from Mali, and so did the kids.

[Ellon · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 stars (I liked it)

This book has a great message about vanity. It also has a fast paced and interesting plot!

[Kristin · Rating 3 out of 5]

A story from Mali

[Zonia · Rating 3 out of 5]

African folk story.