While reading First Come The Zebra, I really liked how the author included powerful illustrations to match the words throughout the story. These illustrations provided a better understanding of what was going on. For example, when the two characters were arguing over the land, the pictures show the anger in each of the young boys faces. Another reason that I enjoyed this book is because I always enjoy reading a book with a happy ending, and that is exactly what happened in this story. Even though the boys fought throughout the book, by the end they became friends in order to perform a good deed. The boys ultimately saved a young child from being attacked by a swarm of agitated bulls. In conclusion, I really enjoyed reading this book and would give it a five star rating because of the true message behind the story. The message is that although two people may not always like each other, these people can always come together to ensure the safety of another young person. ( )

I liked this book for a few reasons. I liked how the book’s message is to overcome conflict and work together. Abaani, from the Maasai tribe, and Kikuyu, from the Haki tribe, knew there was conflict between their tribes. At first the dislike each other because of this, but a dangerous situation arises and the boys work together and notice that they are not different from one another. Another reason I liked the book is because of the author’s use of imagery, “the tall grass is lush and green...” here you can vividly picture grass in your head. This is important to the story because the grass is a part of the setting. The main idea of the story is about respect and overcoming people’s differences. The two boys in the story come from different tribes and they are aware of the conflicts between the tribes. ( )

I really enjoyed reading this book. The author used descriptive imagery which allowed me to feel as though I could see what she was describing. For example, in the beginning she stated, “the sun is rising over the grassland” and “the tall grass is lush and green after the long rainy season.” Throughout the story, she continued to use strong wording which allowed me to create the scenes in my mind. I also enjoyed this book because I encountered foreshadowing in the beginning which made me eager to continue reading. The author described how the animals shared the grass in the field by stating, “By sharing the land, there will be plenty for all. There will be peace among the grazers.” This quote made me think that soon there would not be peace due to the inability to share, most likely between humans.
The main purpose of this book was to promote friendship and the need for peaceful coexistence among groups of people. It emphasized the need to help one another. The benefit of helping one another was proven when both Albaani and Haki worked together to save the baby from the warthogs and when they shared their fruits, vegetables, and milk. This story teaches children that sharing and working together can benefit everyone. ( )

I like this book because it shows how two people from different backgrounds can become friends. I see this in the book when a Maasai boy named Abaani and a Kikuyu boy named Haki come into contact with each other. When they first saw each other they asked who they were, and then they realized that their individual tribes did not like each other. They then started calling each other mean names. Next a Kamba woman came along, and her baby ran towards some warthogs. Abanni and Haki worked together to save the baby and they were successful. Abanni then noticed that Haki had a game called Mancala, and they played together and became friends. The theme for this book is that just because people come from different backgrounds that may not get along well, it does not mean that you cannot become friends and get along with each other. ( )

I liked this book for a couple reasons. First was the characters. The two boys were really believable and showed how you can be taught to feel a certain way. The boys were from different African tribes and were raised to hate one another because they were in different tribes. They followed other member’s beliefs in their tribe, but when they had to work together, they developed their own opinions and became friends. Another reason I liked the book is the language. The story incorporated another language you don’t usually see in children’s books. It had small phrases from the boys different tribes such as “jina langu ni Abaani. Jina lako ninani?” Which means “My name is Abaani, who are you?” The different language did not overpower the story, it was the right amount to help show culture and background. The big message of the story was to create your own opinions about someone, you should not listen to stereotypes and biases. ( )