Every Leaf a Halleluja

Mangoshi is on a quest – her mother is ill, she needs a special flower from the forest to heal her. But this flower is not easily found.  Indeed, her first attempt is a failure – fear and duty intervene. However, as time passes the village finds itself facing a crisis – illness stalks through the houses. It is up to Mangoshi to find a way to help; only Mangoshi can hear the trees talk – now she must listen to them.

Ben Okri will be a name recognised by many an adult reader. Here he turns to a younger audience, but there is no sense of ‘dumbing down’ in an effort to engage the child. Rather he turns his considerable talent to creating a fable or folktale for our time. Using the trope familiar from Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, Okri invites us to journey with Mangoshi as a variety of trees transport her to different environments and through time where she can see for herself what used to be, what is now – and their importance for the future. It is a simple, effective device and provides Okri with the opportunity to inform as well as enchant. We learn about the interconnectivity of trees through the web of roots, we see the vulnerability – and also the strength of trees. He suggests the possibility of action that can start with one voice. Okri’s words and story are then given vibrant life by the illustrations and decorations from the artist, Diana Ejaita. Her images – contemporary, vivid – draw on her African heritage in their use of design and pattern adding weight and a sense of tradition that, like the trees, draws from the past to meet the present and look to the future. This is powerful book that should be available in classrooms, homes and libraries. It does not provide a quick fix, rather a memory that will remain with its audience – an inspiration for thought and action. It is also beautiful strengthening the effect of Okri’s storytelling – a folktale to resonate with its audience.