Zomo the Rabbit: A Trickster Tale from West Africa

by Gerald McDermott

Zomo the rabbit, a trickster from West Africa, wants wisdom. But he must accomplish three apparently impossible tasks before Sky God will give him what he wants. Is he clever enough to do as Sky God asks? “The tale moves along with the swift concision of a good joke, right down to its satisfying punch line.”-- Publishers Weekly “Wildly exuberant, full of slapstick and mischief, this version of an enduring Nigerian trickster tale, featuring a clever rabbit, is a storyteller’s delight.”-- Booklist

Genres: Picture Books, Animals, Childrens, Africa, Fiction, Folk Tales, Folklore

32 pages, Hardcover

First published September 15, 1992

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

Gerald McDermott is an award-winning children’s book illustrator and an expert on mythology. His work often combines bright colors and styles with ancient imagery.

He has created more than 25 books and animated films. His first book, Anansi the Spider, was awarded a Caldecott Honor, and he’s since won the Caldecott Medal for Arrow to the Sun and another Caldecott Honor.

Reviews

[Calista · Rating 4 out of 5]

Here is another trickster tale from Gerald McDermott. I have one more to read. There is Raven from the pacific northwest, there is Jabuti the tortoise from the amazon, coyote (I need to read this) from the american southwest and this is Zomo from West Africa.

It's interesting to think of them as a collective archetype. They all make mischief, are very cunning and smart and wiley and they aren't the biggest animal in the story, yet they usually win and maybe lose by their own conceit. It's interesting to see how each culture sets up their trickster. I might get all four books and compare them some day together. That would be interesting.

Zomo is colorful, using the color palate of West Africa. Rabbit is smart, but he wants wisdom, so he goes to the gods for wisdom and they send him on a quest to earn it. He is supposed to collect item from 3 animals. Zomo goes about it by cunning and deceit and is able to obtain them. He does get wisdom, but it isn't how he thought it would be. Little rabbits must be quick. The theme seems to be, think how you get what you want, it's all in how you get them and how you treat others.

Watching the niece and nephew grow up, Nephew just turned 7, it's easy to see little children as tricksters. They are conniving and they scheme to get their way. They think they are much smarter than they are and much more sly. They lie to your face and they think they are so slick about it and its so obvious to see they are lying at this point. Kids are little tricksters, not all the time, but they have moments.

The artwork here is beautiful. It's a great tale and I love being able to compare and contrast these tricksters.

[Jon Nakapalau · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful retelling of this tale from West Africa. Now (more than ever) we need to introduce our children to other cultures so that they can see how alike we truly are. The illustrations are vivid and bold, there is a feeling of movement that adds much to the story. A book that is sure to be read numerous times!

[LaDonna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Can you tell that Gerald McDermott has a new fan? I love the story of Zomo the Rabbit. The entire genre of fables is one that I think everyone should be introduced to. Zomo is a trickster who teaches us about actions having consequences. In the words of the Sky God, “...[there are 3 things] worth having: courage, good sense, and caution...”

I do not think there is one kid, or adult, who would not enjoy this story.

[Amanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this trickster tale retelling, seeing how clever yet shortsighted Zomo is.

[Rosemary Sullivan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is great fun to read aloud in part because you get to say the name "Zomo" over and over. The spirited owner of the moniker is a rabbit who is clever - too clever- for his own good. He is an animal trickster from the traditional stories of West Africa, whose cultural heritage can be seen in his garb, from his dashiki (brightly colored shirt) to his kufi (hat).

Zomo wants to be more than just clever. He wants to be wise. He visits the Sky God and asks him to grant this wish. The Sky God appears as a man, from head to torso, dressed in traditional West African clothing as well. He emerges from a yellow sky, an imposing figure compared to short, little Zomo. (One of the rabbit's personal setbacks is revealed as being "not big," something that children may relate to).

The Sky God agrees to grant Zomo's wish if he does "three impossible things." He says, "First, bring me the scales of Big Fish in the sea. Second, bring me the milk of Wild Cow. Third, bring me the tooth of Leopard."

It's intriguing to read about the inventive ways Zomo goes about accomplishing these tasks. He is as unpredictable as the story's ending. Zomo's cleverness is a double-edged sword, sometimes it works for him and sometimes it doesn't. Either way, you can't help but cheer for this hopping antihero with a can-do spirit.

[Slayermel · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the story of Zomo who goes to the sky God for Wisdom, so the Sky God sends him on an errand to collect three items to bring back. When he has completed this task, he will receive Wisdom.
Zomo is not big or strong, but he is very clever and comes up with some creative ways to complete the errands assigned to him.
The wisdom he gains had me in stitches, I was laughing for about 3 minutes straight. :0)
Bright, beautiful illustrations in bold colours.
This book was in a package I purchased from Scholastic for black history month, and I love it. I will definitely look into more books for children by Gerald McDermott.

[Margaret Boling · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read again on 9/10/2016 in preparation for the Cinderella/traditional literature inquiry I'm working on with one of the grade-levels at my school.

First read on 11/27/2013
11/27/13 ** Another in the series of trickster tales in use in my classroom right now. Trickster tales are such a fabulous resource for helping kids understand how cultures are represented in literature. We can see different tricksters working in different settings enacting essentially the same stories. Such fun! (and it keeps us away from the overdone comparison units that use Cinderella - also fun, but well-worn in my current school.)

[Erin Burke Edwards · Rating 4 out of 5]

Annotation and Comment:
I ordered this book from Scholastic when we were discussing multicultural literature. I was drawn to the cover immediately. The colors are bright and lively in the illustrations. I may use this book as a model for my students to write a trickster tale about how they got their own wisdom. (Ex: Erin The Human: A Trickster Tale from North Carolina) The plot is action packed and incorporates some humor. I really enjoyed this one and I doubt I would have picked it up before.

[Jackie "the Librarian" · Rating 5 out of 5]

Zomo tricks the scales from Big Fish, the milk from Wild Cow, and a tooth from Leopard, all to earn some wisdom from Sky God, and clearly, he's not too smart to start with, or he wouldn't agree to these three tasks!
Very funny African folktale illustrated with McDermott's lively brightly colored pictures. They remind me of Kente cloth, which fits perfectly with the African setting.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are several things I particularly liked about this trickster tale. First it is simple enough that it appeals to a wide range of kids. Second it is brightly colored and fun. I read it to the preschool and older kids who were here for storytime. And once the screaming girl left the room, the kids really enjoyed cheering on rabbit.

[Angela · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best for kids ages 4 and up.
Early Literacy Skills: Print Motivation, Narrative Skills

Zomo the Rabbit. He is not big. He is not strong. But he is very clever! Follow Zomo, a trickster tale from West Africa, as he tries to find wisdom. The bold, virant, colorful illustration will dance right off the page.

[Mimi.Y · Rating 5 out of 5]

My daughter and I enjoy the West African tale. This clever rabbit wanted wisdom so bad that he ask the Sky God. The God told him he had to get three things and then he would grant him wisdom. This book is for all ages because it teaches a life lesson to all. Oh... it's also, good to know that the illustrations are very colorful and fun to look at.

[Crystal · Rating 4 out of 5]

Set for grades Preschool-3, this is a West African folk tale that tells of a trickster rabbit who goes to the Sky God for wisdom. The Sky God assigns him three impossible tasks, but the rabbit completes them. The Sky God grants him wisdom, but gives him warning that when he see his victims again to run fast! This is a great folk tale that helps children to explore other cultures and beliefs.

[Hector Gutierrez · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a cute story that made me think of my upbringings and how the people around me growing up were very witty and made whatever resources they had work. Zomo in the story is very bright and can do anything with his drive, I would use this to teach my class that even though this is good to have it is not everything. Lastly the illustrations of this book were really good.

[Randie D. Camp, M.S. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Zomo is very clever but he desires wisdom. He seeks the Sky God, who says Zomo can earn wisdom by completing three seemingly impossible tasks. The ending is quite humorous but teaches an important moral.

Colorful, bright illustrations do a nice job of showing Zomo's fast movement.

[Ashley Eilers · Rating 5 out of 5]

1) This is a trickster tale with a extreme main character.
2) I connected to this story because I have read different versions of this story before where a character has to find 3 gifts for a God.
3) I wonder if this book caries any historical or cultural significance in Western Africa? Do the people of Western Africa know this specific story?
4) I was surprised in the cleverness of the God as well.
5) I liked this book! It has a good message and great illustrations. I think children would enjoy it.

[Noor Mahmood · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved the illustrations in this book, they were very colorful and paid tribute to West African Culture with the clothes and colors (where the folktale originated from). It was a story about a rabbit named Zomo who wanted to be wise and he would do anything to be given wisdom by the Sky God. He completed all the tasks and became wise after doing the tasks he was asked to. Because he was very clever about the ways he planned to get all of the items that the sky god asked of him he was given the wisdom he asked for by himself but with the tasks given.

[Jessica Sheaffer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Zomo the Rabbit, is a folktale from West Africa about a rabbit named, Zomo, who wants to earn wisdom from the Sky God. Sky God tells Zomo that if he does three impossible things, Sky God will give Zomo wisdom. Zomo proceeds to trick Big Fish, Wild Cow and Leopard into achieving his goal, making all of the animals very angry. When Zomo successfully returns to Sky God, the wisdom that he shares with Zomo is that Zomo is going to need to run fast to escape the three animals that are chasing him. This traditional tale explains something in nature (why rabbits run fast) and teaches a lesson (that actions have consequences). This story would be an excellent shared reading text for first or second grade. The students could extend their understanding of the story by writing their own version of the story based on what three impossible things they would have Zomo do.

Gerald McDermott, has retold many traditional stories from around the world. He uses a unique style of illustration that incorporates bold colors, strong lines and folk art. Each page of his books contrasts the focal point against a rather simple backdrop, giving the images a collage-like quality. Anansi the Spider: A tale from the Ashanti, and, RAVEN: A Trickster Tale from the Pacific Northwest, were both named Caldecott Honor Books . ARROW TO THE SUN: A Tale from the Pueblo, won the Caldecott Medal.

[Hannah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought this was a really neat book. It is a folktale from West Africa. The story is about a rabbit who is not big or strong, but he is clever. He really wanted to have wisdom, so he went to the Sky God to ask for it. The sky god told him that in order to get wisdom he would first have to get the scales from big fish, the milk from wild cow, and the tooth of a leopard. The rabbit cleverly gets all the requirements and returns to the Sky God. The Sky God tells him this, "Three things in this world are worth having: courage, good sense, and caution." Then, he tells little rabbit that he has lots of courage, a bit of sense , but no caution. Little Rabbit has to run from all the animals. I liked this tale because it teaches students the consequences of greed and the importance of not hurting those around you.

I would use this in my classroom when teaching them about folktales; I would have them try and come up with the moral from the story. Beyond this, I would probably just have this book in my classroom for my students to read during silent reading for fun. If I have students that are from West Africa, I think they would enjoy reading this and having it in the classroom to help them connect to their home culture. Also, if they have heard it before, they will feel validated in the classroom.

[Malicia Bragg · Rating 4 out of 5]

Zomo the Rabbit
Zomo the Rabbit is a folktale from West African that tells the story of a clever rabbit named Zomo, who seeks wisdom from the Sky God. Sky God tells Zoo that if he completes three impossible tasks he will be gifted wisdom in return. Zomo’s task include; trick Big Fish, Wild Cow and Leopard into achieving his goal which result in all three of them being very angry. Zomo proud fully returns to Sky God with the news, the wisdom that he shares with Zomo is that Zomo is going to need to run fast to escape the three animals that are chasing him. The core message in this story is all actions have consequences and that is why I feel it would be a great book to have in a first or second grade library. It would be a great opportunity for students to think about and discuss/write about a time they had to face consequences for their decisions.
I highly enjoyed this book and felt the message was extremely important. The illustrations incorporated are amazingly done and enhance the readers experience. McDermott incorporates bold colors in with the folk art. One thing I would have wished it would have gone further than just the Sky God giving them the wisdom and showing the reader what happened next with the three angry animals.

[Elizabeth Edwards · Rating 3 out of 5]

of the 3 i borrowed from Kindle Unlimited ... this is the best one, which is the "Coyote" ... the illustrations take up the whole screen ...but the text sure could be a lot bigger ... i wish. these illustrations are just amazing. so gorgeous!! what makes the books are the pics ... i wish they could both be bigger ... text and pics.

[Melany · Rating 4 out of 5]

Zomo the Rabbit: A Trickster Tale from West Africa by Gerald McDermott is a folklore intended for k-2 grade. This book is about a clever rabbit who wants to earn wisdom from the Sky God. Sky God tells Zomo that if he does three impossible things, Sky God will give Zomo wisdom. Well Zomo learns that every action has a consequence. I rated this book with 4 stars because his traditional tale explains something in nature and teaches a lesson. The bold colors and friendly illustrations makes this book very appealing to young readers. I would have the children in my class use this book to draw their own understanding of the story.

[Savannah Webster · Rating 5 out of 5]

We are such big fans of Gerald McDermott's trickster tale of Anansi the Spider we thought we'd read another trickster tale called Zomo the Rabbit. This one stars a rabbit who is clever but longs to be wise. The Sky God tells him he must complete three impossible tasks. The rabbit is clever and tricks Big Fish, Wild Cow, and Leopard. When he returns with the items, the Sky God states, "you are clever enough to do the impossible, now I will give you wisdom... better run fast!" It was a fun book to read and discuss with the kids. I appreciate the humor and I love the bold colorful illustrations!! .

[Kellee Foster · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a tale from West Africa about a smart rabbit, that is on the search for wisdom from the sky God. In order to gain wisdom the rabbit must do 3 impossible things. The rabbit was clever enough to complete the tasks, but the wisdom is that he better be a fast runner. The story is cute and witty, with vibrant African colors of reds, yellows, greens, and browns. The illustrator uses many shapes (triangles, diamonds, etc.) to create the pictures in the story. The book is appropriate for N-P children. I would recommend this story to other readers.

[Virginia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love Gerald McDermott's retelling of folktales from various locations throughout the world. His bold, bright art and simple story telling style make these books accessible to a wide range of students and ages. Zomo the Rabbit is a classic story of a character trying to obtain wisdom. The book opens up many avenues for conversation including what wisdom is and how it is acquired.

[Brittany Long · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is very colorful, but comes with a very important message. The rabbit, Zomo, actually reminds me of my older cousin. When we were growing up he used to always play pranks on us, or come up with some crazy scheme that ALWAYS had a dangerous aspect to it. I wish the "skygod" would have given us some wisdom back then.

[Craig · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoy these ancient myths/stories/parables from other cultures. I often wonder if the world today would be a better place if we raised our children with more of these and less of... everything else.

[Lisa Delaine Youngblood · Rating 5 out of 5]

African tale
trickster tale

[Chelsea · Rating 3 out of 5]

I do not believe that I would use this book during story time, but I definitely got a kick out of it.

[Kristin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Used this as part of a language building activity with my students- they (and I) enjoyed it!