Mbeku the tortoise is proud of his magnificent, shiny shell - maybe too proud. Because he is so handsome, the greedy tortoise feels he can demand the biggest share of everything. When the birds are invited to a feast in Skyland, Mbeku is determined to go with them. The tortoise even convinces the birds to help him and soon he had magnificent wings of his own. When Mbeku repays the birds with treachery, he learns he is not the only one who can play tricks. With his spirited retelling of a traditional take from the Igbo people of Nigeria, Tololwa M. Mollel brings the crafty tortoise's schemes to a satisfying and lighthearted comeuppance.

The Flying Tortoise: An Igbo Tale

Children's Books

Mollel, Tololwa

Fairy Tales, Folk Tales & Myths

Fitzhenry and Whiteside

a promise to the sun

Literature & Fiction

Joy Street/Little Brown

Dume's Roar is an original tale inspired by the "King of the Animals" theme and by the "Tortoise Trickster" character so popular in African fables. Here Dume the lion, proud and vain, claims he is best suited to be King of the Forest. Though all the other animals live to regret proclaiming him their leader they are afraid to object when he abuses his power. Only Kobe, the tortoise, is clever enough to admit Dume is the king they need, and to find a way to make him as wise and good as he is fearsome and strong. 
 With his usual musical language and sense of fun, famed storyteller Tololwa M. Mollel spins and lively yarn with a gentle moral.

Dume's Roar

In order to have his reward from Grandmother, Yoanes must first gather enough eggs to take to market. But Grandmother's hens don't make the job easy. They lay their eggs in the strangest places - the bedroom, the cow barn, and even the outhouse. And Kele, Grandmother's most unusual hen, is most clever at hiding her eggs. Poor Yoanes has to follow her all over the family compound and coffee farm if he is to discover all of her secret hideouts. But she leads him to the one place on the farm that he is most afraid of, will he dare search any further? If he is to earn his reward, the precious coin from Grandmother, he will have to.  Master storyteller Tololwa Mollel has written a warm family story set in his native Tanzania. With a gentle sense of humour, he addresses the universal of a young child who manages to conquer his fears. Catherine Stock's engaging illustrations, painted during a visit to the Arusha Maasai of Tanzania, evoke the liveliness and charm of the tale.

Kele's Secret

High in the sky, a hawk circled and searched. Then quick as an arrow, he dropped to the ground. 
 To little Kitoto, each day brings constant danger. Even his search for food can end in disaster, especially when the sharp-eyed hawk is looking for his breakfast, too. Then Kitoto has an idea. If he could find and make friends with the most powerful being on the Savannah, he would never have to be afraid again. His journey leads him to amazing places and a very remarkable discovery. With his usual wit and humor, Tololwa M. Mollel sends a mighty message to those who might seem weak or small.

Kitoto the Mighty