The Wooden Camel by Wanuri Kahiu

Abstract

Reviewed by: The Wooden Camel by Wanuri Kahiu Deborah Stevenson Kahiu, Wanuri The Wooden Camel; illus. by Manuela Adreani. Lantana, 2017 [32p] ISBN 978-1-9113-7312-4 $17.99 Reviewed from galleys R 5-8 yrs Etabo "knows he will be the best camel racer ever," and he eagerly awaits the day when he's old enough to ride. When his family has to sell their camels to pay for water, he's upset, but Akuj the Sky God tells him, "Your dreams are enough." As his older brothers and sisters leave home to work and Etabo is left to mind the goats on his own, though, he finds his dreams of camel racing pretty unsatisfying compensation. When his older sister kindly whittles him a herd of wooden camels, however, Etabo finds they give his pretend play enough power to finally make his dreams enough. The trajectory of this East African story, by Kenyan filmmaker Kahiu, ends at a place that may be surprising to some American listeners, since stories about wishes becoming reality are such a literary staple here. That makes the book all the more interesting and immediate, though, as most young people are a lot more familiar with satisfying imaginative play anyway, and there's a strong subtextual suggestion that Etabo is yearning not just for camel racing but for the closeness of his departing brothers and sisters. The text is streamlined but warm and sometimes humorous, with Etabo's animal experiences (Keti the head-butting goat enlivens his days) particularly engaging. Art by Italian illustrator Adreani is softly grainy with gentle spatters of texture, while draftsmanship deliberately exaggerates the figures, especially the animals, with streamlined elongation. Kids with unmet desires of their own will relate to this gentle tale that gives dreams full respect in their own right. DS Copyright © 2017 Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois