How the Leopard Got His Claws

From Chinua Achebe, father of modern African literature, comes a vivid fable about power and freedom.

In the beginning, all the animals lived as friends. Their king, the leopard, was strong but gentle and wise. Only Dog had sharp teeth, and only he scoffed at the other animals' plan to build a common shelter for resting out of the rain. But when Dog is flooded out of his own cave, he attacks the leopard and takes over as king. And it is then, after visiting the blacksmith's forge and knocking on Thunder's door, that the angry leopard returns to regain his throne by the menace of his own threatening new claws. In a riveting fable for young readers about the potency and dangers of power taken by force, Nigerian writer Chinua Achebe, author of Things Fall Apart, evokes themes of liberation and justice that echo his seminal novels about post-colonial Africa. Glowing with vibrant color, Mary GrandPr 's expressive and action filled paintings bring this unforgettable tale to dramatic life.

Binding Type: Hardcover
Publisher: Candlewick Press (MA)
Published: 09/27/2011
ISBN: 9780763648053
Pages: 32
Weight: 1.33lbs
Size: 11.56h x 10.07w x 0.45d

Review Citations: Kirkus Reviews 08/01/2011
Publishers Weekly 08/01/2011
School Library Journal 09/01/2011 pg. 143
Booklist 09/15/2011 pg. 66
New York Times Book Review 09/18/2011 pg. 21
Shelf Awareness 10/28/2011
Bulletin of Ctr for Child Bks 12/01/2011
Hornbook Guide to Children 01/01/2012 pg. 16 - Below Average, With Minor Flaw

Accelerated Reader Quiz #/Name: 146745 / How the Leopard Got His Claws
Reading Level: 3.5 / Interest Level: Lower Grade / Point Value: 0.5