Suitabook
A Curse or a Blessing?
Alfred Esinyen
African Storybook: original book (opens in a new tab)CC BY 4.0Read Free: A Curse or a Blessing? on African Storybook (opens in a new tab)
Credits & Licence
Author - Alfred Esinyen Illustration - Marleen Visser, Natalie Propa, Silva Afonso, Vusi Malindi Language - English Level - First paragraphs © Lolupe Pilot Site 2015 Creative Commons: Attribution 4.0 Source www.africanstorybook.org Original source
author: Alfred Esinyen. illustrator: Marleen Visser, Natalie Propa, Silva Afonso, Vusi Malindi. source_copyright_statements: © Lolupe Pilot Site 2015.
Cover resized and converted to WebP; story unchanged. Suitabook’s guidance is a separate analysis.
Original Book on African Storybook: A Curse or a Blessing? (opens in a new tab)- Reading
- Pause at the illustrations of the rising water and invite your child to notice what is changing. Let them lead if they want to discuss the sad character.
- Themes
- Rain as both welcome and hardship: Villagers hope for rain after a long dry spell, then face flooding that affects homes, travel and planting. The story clearly contrasts welcome rain with damaging excess, but does not develop a broader judgement about rain-making or responsibility.
- Shared disruption: The lost bridge separates the village from shops and schools across the river. The practical effects on villagers are explicit, but the story does not show how people respond together or whether access is restored.
- Worth knowing
- Floods wash away houses and a bridge; crocodiles appear in the water. A child shown looking sad provides a quiet emotional moment.