Bimwili and the Zimwi

Bimwili's first trip to the sea with her two elder sisters turns into disaster when she is lured into the clutches of the evil Zimwi with the aid of a sea shell. She is forced by the ugly shape-changer to sing from within his drum which he plays in the villages for his food. Then one day he visits Bimwili's own village where she sings a different version of the song to alert her family to her pligh and she is rescued. The Zimwi tries in vain to recapture his meal ticket but is beaten off and forced to return as a sea gull to the coast. This magical, rather scary Swahili folk-tale is retold with the verve and vigour one expects from Verna Aardema and boldly illustrated in rich glowing colours. A treat for fives to nines.