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INTERMEDIATE FICTION
Paasewe-Valchev, Mayonn

The Leopard Behind the Moon

256 pp. | Greenwillow | September, 2021 | Trade ISBN 978-0-06-299361-8 $16.99 | Ebook ISBN 978-0-06-299363-2 $8.99
(2) 4-6 Illustrated by R. Gregory Christie. "Long before you were born, or perhaps it was long after you had departed, there was a village." So begins this wondrous tale of the village of Sesa, the unusual boy who lives there--and magic enough to change them both. Sesa has long been divided by the perceived ability of its residents, with those who "lacked the talent and skill to contribute fully" relegated to the compound known as Noroad. Even within Noroad, all inhabitants are expected to fill prescribed roles. Grief-stricken after his father is killed by a leopard, however, young Ezomo refuses to follow the traditional path of a child, instead choosing to spend his days wandering in the nearby woods--an act the elders see as a threat to their authority. While they discuss the means of correction or punishment, Ezomo encounters the same leopard responsible for his father's death, and his journey for justice begins. Joined by two friends who experienced tragedies within their own families, Ezomo enters a magical vision quest of sorts into a beautifully described land full of talking birds, ageless children, sentient swamps, and magical trees. Far from traveling a linear route, the tale doesn't come to a neat conclusion for Ezomo and his friends, but it's a satisfying one all the same. Combining adventure, cautionary tale, and folklore, the narrative includes many side stories and intertwined histories. Christie's fantastical black-and-white illustrations, which mimic wood carvings, are interspersed throughout. Making use of many characteristics found in West African oral traditions (call and response, repetition, proverbs, etc.), this tale is a joy to read both silently and aloud.
Reviewer: Eboni Njoku | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2022

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