The Magic Tree: A Tale from the Congo
by Gerald McDermott
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Retells a Congolese tale in which an ugly and unloved twin discovers a magic tree that gives him everything he wants.Tags
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This book is confusing. There seem to be two separate plots and neither of them get resolved in any way. There's the story line about how the main character's mother doesn't love him, which is about a page long. Then there's the story line about how he finds and marries the princess, and how she asks him not to tell anyone, which goes on for many pages. That one ends abruptly after he tells some people. Nothing happens; the books just ends. If a twenty-two year old finds it confusing, how is a seven-year-old going to follow it?
Full-color motifs illustrate this Congolese tale in which an ugly, unloved twin leaves home and discovers a Magic Tree, which gives him beauty, strength, and love--if he keeps its secret. By the author of Zomo the Rabbit. Reissue.
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A Child's Book Tour of Central Africa ::: Congo, Cameroon, Rwanda, Chad
16 works; 1 member
Author Information
36+ Works 12,549 Members
Gerald McDermott was born January 31, 1941 in Detroit, Michigan. He began studying art when he was admitted to a class at one of the nation's finest museums, the Detroit Institute of Arts, when he was just four years old. He continued pursuing his passion for art at Cass Tech, a public high school for the gifted. Upon graduation, he was awarded a show more National Scholastic scholarship to New York's Pratt Institute. He took a leave of absence during his junior year to become the first graphic designer for Channel 13, New York's educational television station, the year it went on the air. He also designed and directed his first animated film, The Stonecutter. He then toured Europe, visiting and exchanging ideas with filmmakers in England, France, and Yugoslavia. He returned to Pratt to finish his degree in 1964 and began producing and directing a series of animated films on folklore. It was then that he met Joseph Campbell, who served as the consultant on four of McDermott's films. McDermott then began to adapt his films into picture books. His first book, Anansi the Spider: A Tale from the Ashanti, was named a Caldecott Honor Book. His other books include Arrow to the Sun: A Tale from the Pueblo that won the 1975 Caldecott Medal, Raven: A Trickster Tale from the Pacific Northwest, another Caldecott Honor Book, and Musicians of the Sun. He died on December 26, 2012 at the age of 71. (Bowker Author Biography) show less
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- 72
- Popularity
- 438,194
- Reviews
- 2
- Rating
- (3.83)
- Languages
- English
- Media
- Paper
- ISBNs
- 6
- ASINs
- 2
