There is always a degree of cunning and fear, as well as honesty and  reconciliation, in every community. The animals in these stories have human characteristics – some are clever, others daring or selfish, yet others are boisterous, or cheeky, or have their heads in the clouds. They are the protagonists in these fables from the Cameroonian grasslands. The chimpanzee, the gorilla, and the panther have a great plan. Delicious nuts are hanging high up in the palm tree. But all three of  them end up empty-handed. The antelope is thirsty, but why does the deer prevent it from drinking? The pig, in turn, misses an opportunity when the tortoise presents the animals with horns – since that day it digs up the ground, grunting away. When reading these stories we feel  as if we were sitting in the shade of a big tree in a village ourselves, listening to these sometimes poetic and sometimes peculiar tales from another world. Henri Mbarga, who grew up in Cameroon, has chronicled them, and the illustrations by Billy Djité from Senegal have given them a mischievous face.

The Author

Henri Mbarga was born as one of 19 siblings in Cameroon in 1956. He left the country at the young age of 13 and went to Paris, where he discovered his love of dance. After training as a dancer he launched  an international career as a dancer and choreographer in New York. He has lived in Switzerland since 1995. This is his first book.

The Illustrator

Billy Djité was born in 1957 and grew up in a suburb of Dakar in  Senegal. He started painting at an early age, animated by the beauty of nature. His pictures are characterised by an abundance of detail  and dynamism, and have been exhibited in numerous shows. Billy Djité, who has lived in Zürich since 1986, also designs posters and book covers.