One factor is folklore that I did not think would be reoccurring is outsmarting. This is the second folklore book I read in which an animal or a human outsmarts another animals or human. In "The Hatseller And The Monkeys", BaMusa outsmarts the monkeys in the tree that stole his hats. BaMusa makes colorful hats and hears about a festival where he can sell them. He leaves so early in the morning that he does not eat. When he decides to rest under a mango tree, he falls asleep and monkeys snatch his colorful hats and head up the tree. When BaMusa wakes, he is hungry and confused. He throws rocks at the monkeys but they just throw mangoes back. BaMusa eats some mangoes thrown at him by the monkeys, then he can think clearly. He takes his only hat left off of his head, as do the monkeys. Then he drops his hat on the ground and all of the monkeys drop theirs. Thus, the lesson learned in this story is "It is with a full stomach that one thinks best, for an empty satchel cannot stand." This is a fun suspenseful reading that presents a problem and solution, and also a lesson. The colorful illustrations will have students wondering what happens next and cheering for BaMusa at the end. ( )

This is a great book with beautiful illustrations. The story is about BaMusa, the hat seller, and how he learned to make and sell hats. A festival was taking place in a nearby town and BaMusa was excited to make many sells and the festival. On his way he grew tired and decided to rest under a mango tree. While sleeping he began to snore and drew the attention of the monkeys in the tree. The monkeys took his hats and began to imitate him. BaMusa was hungry after his rest and couldn’t seem to think about how he was going to get his hats back to sell. The monkeys threw mangoes at him after imitating him and BaMusa decided to eat the mangoes until he was full. It was then he thought of a plan to get his hats back and he continued to the festival to sell them. The author emphasizes how important eating is to clear thinking and having a good day: "an empty satchel cannot stand." ( )

An African version of the familiar story of a man who sets off to sell his hats, only to have them stolen be a treeful of mischievous monkeys

BaMusa the hatseller has been making hats for years to sell to his village and the neighboring villages. One day, BaMusa gets the opportunity to see his hats at a festival. He works very hard to make all the hats he needs to sell at the festival. The day of the festival, BaMusa gets up early to begin his trek to the neighboring village. BaMusa was so excited to sell his hats that he forgot to eat! BaMusa has to take a rest under a tree because he is so weak and hungry. BaMusa falls asleep and monkeys from the tree above steal his hats! BaMusa wakes up and tries to get his hats back to no avail. He sits down and eats some fruit, which allows him to think more clearly. BaMusa outsmarts the monkeys and gets his hats back. Then, he sells the hats at the festival. BaMusa learns that “it is with a full stomach that one thinks best.”
I thought this was a very interesting folktale. I have never really heard of a folktale where the moral is to make sure that you are eating. However, I know that some parents and teachers struggle to get students to eat. This could be a great book to encourage children to eat, showing them that they will be smarter and stronger if they do not always go hungry. ( )

BaMusa was a well known hat maker. He mostly sold them around his town but when the opportunity came up for him to sell them at a festival he got right to work. When the festival day came he was so busy that he just ignored his hunger and forgot to eat. His hunger got the best of him and he started making poor choices. He fell asleep under a tree and some monkeys stole his hats. When he woke up he was still starving but had to figure how to get his hats back. When he finally decided to eat he was able to clear his mind and start thinking straight. Because he ate, he was able to make the right decisions and ultimately get his hats back.Most folklore's have really deep themes or meanings that they are trying to display. This story is different. At the age group this book is meant for, the message is perfect. You have to eat and keep yourself healthy if you want to be able to think and be productive. A lot of parents and teachers struggle to get their kids to eat. To them, just like BaMusa, they have better things to be doing besides eating. This is a great interactive book that will give children a greater understanding as to why it is so important to eat and fuel your bodies. This book was set in Mali, Africa and through the illustrations the culture and heritage are definitely portrayed. ( )