Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People's Ears

Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People's Ears by Verna Aardema, and illustrated by Leo and Diane Dillion, is a 1976 Caldecott winner. This African folktale teaches a lesson about lying and it's consequences. It takes place in the forest and it starts with a mosquito telling a lie to an iguana. Due to the actions the iguana took after the mosquito told him the lie, a series of events unfold. The story explains why people swat at mosquitoes and why they are considered a pest. The illustrations in this book are amazing. It is full of brightly colored pictures that capture the interest of any reader. The illustrations have an excellent African representation.The white lining of the colorful pictures are eye catching. You can easily follow the illustrations with the text in the book. I have used this book to teach sequence of events. It's an age appropriate book for a 4th or 5th grade class.

Aardema, Verna (1975). Why Mosquitos Buzz in People's Ear. New York. Puffin/Dial.