When Gezani is sent to take a bunch of bananas to his cousins over the hill, he is tricked into giving them to a clever baboon. After he has been reprimanded for losing the bananas, he is laughed at for being so easily tricked.
Gezani is determined to be trickier than the baboon, and soon has a plan for revenge. He will make the baboon sorry for tricking him and win back the respect of his fellow villagers.
Gezani and the Tricky Baboon is an endearing story of trickery and revenge, set in South Africa, where author Valanga Khoza was born. Khoza comes from a family of storytellers and, since arriving in Australia, has used his storytelling skills to perform in schools. His style is aptly complemented in Gezani by the illustrations of Sally Rippin, which are filled with bold oranges, browns and blues.
A perfect read-aloud.
Gezani and the Tricky Baboon, by Valanga Ghoza, illustrated by Sally Rippin
Allen & Unwin, 2003