Crafty Chameleon

by Mwenye Hadithi

Published 1 October 1987
A chameleon bedeviled by a leopard and a crocodile uses his wits to get them to leave him alone.

Tricky Tortoise

by Mwenye Hadithi

Published 1 September 1988

When Elephant trod on Tricky Tortoise for the three hundred and thirty second time, Tortoise devised a cunning plan to teach Elephant a lesson.

This is the story of how Tricky Tortoise proves that brains are often better than strength or size.


Hot Hippo

by Mwenye Hadithi

Published 1 September 1986

Hippo was hot and thought how wonderful it would be to live in the water. Hippo pleaded with the god of Everything and Everywhere to let him live in the rivers and streams.



Ngai agreed Hippo could live in the water but only if he promised not to eat the little fishes and to come out of the water at night and eat grass.

The story of how Hippo came to live in the river instead of on dry land.


Lazy Lion

by Mwenye Hadithi

Published 3 May 1990

Lazy Lion orders the animals to build him a house on the African plain.



The Weaver Birds build him a house of nest grasses and palm leaves, but Lazy Lion is too heavy to reach the door. The Ant Bears build him a house with many rooms and caverns, but it is so dark Lion can't see anything.



The animals do their best to please Lion, but he is very difficult to please. Will he ever find a home?

This is the story of how Lazy Lion found his home on the great African plain.


Handsome Hog

by Mwenye Hadithi

Published 4 June 2009

On the Great Grassy African Plain Handsome Hog had a beautiful smooth coat and an extremely elegant tail. This is the story of how Handsome Hog lost his looks and became known as Warthog to the other animals.

Mwenye Hadithi is a pen name and means a story-teller in Swahili.


Hungry Hyena

by Mwenye Hadithi

Published 17 February 1994

Hungry Hyena steals Fish Eagle's dinner and sets off a chain of events which leads to the hyenas reaching for the moon ... with disastrous results.

This is the story of how Hungry Hyena came to slink about on the great African plain and how Fish Eagle soars in the clouds.


Enormous Elephant

by Mwenye Hadithi and Adrienne Kennaway

Published 21 August 2008
In the days before the Big Rains, many of the animals looked very different. This is the story of how Enormous Elephant came to wave his long trunk and swish his long tail on the Great Plains.

Bumping Buffalo

by Mwenye Hadithi

Published 17 June 2010
Bumping Buffalo liked to bump. He had great big horns with a huge pad in the middle, just right for bumping the other animals. This is the story of how Buffalo went looking for trouble and found it!

Cross Crocodile

by Mwenye Hadithi

Published 6 August 2009
Long ago on the Great African Plains, it was so dry before the rain came that all the animals were hot, and thirsty, and hungry. All, that is, except Cross Crocodile. This is the story of how Monkey tricked Crocodile into sharing his food with the other animals.

Greedy Zebra

by Mwenye Hadithi and Mwenge Hadithi

Published 1 April 1984

When the animals discovere a cave full of furs and skins, they discarde their drab skins for glossy new ones. Greedy zebra, arrives late, after a delicious snack, only to find a few stripes of black cloth. He squeezes into them but Greedy Zebra iis too big for them and his new coat bursts open!

The story of how all the animals chose their clothing, except for Greedy Zebra, who had to take the left-over pieces . . .


Sleepy Cheetah

by Mwenye Hadithi

Published 11 February 2016

An African tale with a traditional feel, celebrating the speed and grace of the Cheetah - a brand-new title in this successful series of African folktales.

Long ago, Cheetah was sandy-coloured and lay snoozing all day on the Great African Plain. There was no need to run to hunt because animals tripped over her. But one day there is a fire, and all the other animals are fleeing. This is the story of how Cheetah got her markings, and discovered that she can run as fast as the wind.

The first book in the series - Greedy Zebra - was published in 1984 and the series has stayed in print ever since.

Praise for the series: 'Their books are beautiful to look at and to feel, and perect for reading aloud.' School Librarian
'A delightful book.' Books For Keeps


Baby Baboon

by Mwenye Hadithi

Published 21 January 1993
When lazy Leopard cannot catch Hare for his dinner, he goes after Baby Baboon instead.

Awkward Aardvark

by "Mwalimu" and Mwenye Hadithi

Published 1 May 1989

Aardvark's snoring keeps the other animals awake night after night. Something has got to be done! Mongoose calls on the others for help, but it is not until the termites get involved that the problem is solved.

This is the story of how Awkward Aardvark came to sleep during the day and eat termites at night.


Running Rhino

by Mwenye Hadithi

Published 4 November 2010
On the Great African Plain, Rhino was so short-sighted he ran at anything that moved. This is the story of how Rhino challenged Tickbird to stop him running, and lost.

Laughing Giraffe

by Mwenye Hadithi

Published 19 June 2008

In the days long ago, Giraffe was the noisiest animal on the Great African Plain. He shouted a lot and he laughed all the time. This is the story of how the littlest Egret proved to Laughing Giraffe that you don't need to be loud to be heard.