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THE 3 LITTLE DASSIES
Written and illustrated by
Jan Brett
G. P. Putnam's Sons
ISBN 978-0-399-25499-4
Read
my all about letter
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Once upon a time there were three
little Dassie sisters --Mimbi, Pimbi, and Timbi. Just like the
little pigs who built new homes, the sisters cross a desert in
southern Africa to build their houses.
"Welcome!" Says a smiling Agama
Man. He is happy to see them, for he is the only one there, he
tells them, except for an eagle. The Dassies shiver, but they
stay.
The very next day the eagle dives
down to flap and clap and blow in Mimbi's grass
house
and carry her up to his nest. Back he goes for Pimbi. Then for
Timbi. But Timbi outsmarts that pesky eagle as Agama Man attempts a
daring rescue of Mimbi and Pimbi.
Bold African patterns and prints fill Jan's stunning borders
where that handsomely dressed man looks on. But it is the
Dassies,
in their bright colorful dresses and hats, that steal the show in
this irresistible tale. My African version of the three little pigs'
story began in 2007 when my husband Joe and I camped in Namibia in
southern Africa. |
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"One morning we climbed up and sat by a freshwater spring.
Sunny on the reddish rocks were little rock Dassies, the cutest and
most unusual creatures you can imagine with a big bump of a nose
like a koala bear, bright eyes and soft fur. A redheaded Agama lizard
came along and acted as if he owned the place. Then the shrill
whistle of eagles overhead sent the Dassies running for cover.
Eagles have a strong appetite for Dassies. |
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"I went home with images of Dassies, the Agama lizard and
eagles dancing in my head until they became my characters, with the
three little Dassies in dresses and flat turbans like the ones worn
by the Herero women since Victorian times. Joe and I agreed that
our trip had turned into a treasure hunt." |
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