SUNDIATA: LION KING OF MALI
I loved reading Sundiata: The Lion King of Mali, mainly because I felt it was culturally rich and an entirely new story from Disney's version of the Lion King! Here is a sketch I found of him online (not your classic Lion King cartoon):
One of my favorite parts of the book was the introduction! The narrator establishes himself, with a sense of ethos, when he says “The words I speak are those of my father and his father before him, pure and full of truth. For we are griots. Centuries of laws and learning reside within our minds” The beginning sets children and readers up to root for Sundiata, the Lion King, “who overcame all things to walk with greatness”. Unlike previous stories we’ve read, where main characters like Aladdin are not necessarily important to us, this introduction made me root for Sundiata. His childhood as the crippled youngest son is devastating, but the author does a great job of building up to his first walk and fight to rule. I love how unconventional this “rag to riches” story is; Sundiata is never necessarily poor, but overlooked simply because of his physical disability. This reminds me of my work with Elsa, who often resembles someone with mental illness. It is extremely uncommon to depict characters as having disabilities especially as the protagonist!
Another of my favorite parts of the story was the emphasis on learning about your your ancestors and respecting the laws of life. I love how Sogolon, Sundiata’s unconventional father (not blood related), taught him about life and war when his father and his family could not. He served as an older role model and source of wisdom that Sundiata could count on. In the fall, I took a class called "Sexuality Around the World" and we talked about the lack of possession over a singular son. In America, there is a a need to pass things down to the eldest son, like land or money. However, in many native African tribes, polygamy caused there to a be a more fluid, open family structure. More specifically, men did not care who their son was, and instead sought to raise all children of a tribe, similar to how Sogolon extends his hand to Sundiata even though they are not blood related. I also loved how Sogolon actively encouraged Sundiata to return to his home kingdom when invaders were taking over. Rather than being bitter about Sundiata’s departure, Sogolon let him fulfill his true destiny.
In addition to the strong focus on wisdom and respect for those who came before, there are also elements of the story that preach kindness. Even when the evil witches steal his spices, Sundiata HELPS them (I wish I were that nice). The evil witches even say it is impossible to hurt someone who’s soul is filled with compassion, love and kindness. Because of his kindness, he is impossible to defeat. He does not let the greed and jealousy that often comes with power cloud his judgement and warm heart. In addition, the role the witches play is particularly interesting. Our common perception of witches is that they are evil and magical beings, ready to destroy. However, in this case, the witches are no match for "goodness". I like how this children's book preaches a sweet message: we know evil is omnipresent, but staying kind allows us to transcend any negative influences.
Of course, I also particularly loved the book because of its colorful, engaging pictures. Each page had a story, even without the words. When Sundiata’s brother turned to store, the picture perfectly shows the emotion and detail in his final defeat. In addition, the artist does a great job depicting the different clothing and facial emotions (unlike what we’ve seen in many Disney movies). The patterns are rich and the explicit effort that was required to create such photos are more than visible, adding to the story’s depth. Even as an 18 year old, I found the pictures to strengthen my engagement and enhance my understanding of the story. I did some research and many articles and scientific studies have established this!
Now I'm looking forward to spending my weekend with this lovely group...
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