Skip to main content

BOOK REVIEW: Ogaba and the Enchanted Cave by Obande Sunny Jack

 

Ogaba and the enchanted cave

Ogaba and the Enchanted Cave is a quite easy-to-read yet elegant prose targeted for pre-teens and early teenagers. The vocabulary is concise, adequate and fitting for that demographic. Perhaps what is more endearing about the text is its capacity to weave timeless human values into the narrative while placing premium on them. Values such as hardwork, cleanliness, politeness, cheerfulness, wisdom, and the like are rewarded when being practiced especially by children. For example, Ogaba’s cleanliness and wisdom fetches him liberty from the Ojujus.

Worthy of note is the environmental consciousness of the writer who brings to the fore the geography, flora, and fauna typically obtainable in the middle belt of Nigeria such as the great Benue River, the Cattle and nomads, as well as the vegetation of the place. His love for plants, especially flowers comes out more vividly.

The writer himself is not new to the craft of children’s literature. In fact, he could be said to be dexterous in the craft. His first book, Agbenu and the Forest Spirits (initially published in 2005), is currently a recommended text by Universal Basic Education (UBEC) for use in Nigerian secondary schools. His other book, A Miracle for Daddy (2015), was shortlisted for the highly coveted Nigerian NLNG Prize for Children’s Literature. It is then easy to foresee Obande’s Ogaba and Enchanted Cave take up a space among Nigerian children’s literature classics as well as its celebration in the near future. Posterity will surely include Sunny Jack Obande’s name in the Children’s Literature authors’ hall of fame.

Censorship of children’s literature, especially Nigerian children’s literature, is quite imperative in the face encroaching global cultures that could affect moral values upheld nationally. Obande’s Ogaba and the Enchanted Cave doesn’t contain any controversy that could lead to any censorship. This means that the book is safe for both children and adults to read. Researchers in the field of Children’s literature will also find the text as an invaluable material for research. On the whole, it is an unforgettable read.  


 

Sunny Jack Obande


Obande Sunny Jack is the author of Agbenu and the Forest Spirits (Apex, Lagos 2005, new edition by Human Change Communication, 2018. Third edition printed by Advance Publishers, Kaduna 2018, in collaboration with Universal Basic Education (UBEC) for use in secondary schools in Nigeria.

Obande is also the author of A Miracle for Daddy (Accomplish Press, UK, 2015). A Miracle for Daddy was shortlisted for the prestigious Nigerian NLNG Prize for Children’s Literature. He is an alumnus of the NLNG Masterclass in Children’s Literature.

--Reviewer, Bizuum Yadok is the Chairman, Plateau Writers Society (PLAWS) and author of King of the Jungle, and, Echoes of the Plateau.

 

Sunny Jack Obande

 

 

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

BOOK EXCERPT: The Farmhouse by Omoruyi Uwuigiaren

The Farmhouse  by Omoruyi Uwuigiaren Chapter One The Family `Once upon a time in the old town of Gid, an old farmer called Erasmus had a horse and a son. The boy’s name was Jason, and the horse was Francis. They lived in a farmhouse, and Francis took them everywhere they went. The farmer had no wife. She died after Jason was born. Erasmus vowed never to remarry and had remained a widower ever since. Taking care of Jason and Francis alone was never easy, but the farmer promised his late wife on her deathbed that he was going to raise Jason into a fine man. One sad morning, the cockerel said it was dawn. The disturbance woke Jason. The boy stormed out of sleep. He removed the blanket and rolled out of bed. He went to the window and peered out. The weather was clear, and the boughs of trees bowed and danced to the sweet movement of the morning breeze. Jason liked the morning, and then he carried himself to the sitting room, where his father was on his knees saying his morning prayers....
1 comment
Read more

From the novel entitled, "Beyond Imagination" by Oladele Dada.

 Oladele Dada. It was dawn. The chilly dust-laden wind formed dense fog on the road. The rocky hills and the tall trees made Ajewole a beautiful town. The birds sang aloud, and clanging of stainless dishes in the neighbourhood suggested human activity was at its peak. Humans had begun to move to their various destinations. Adunni had trouble with child bearing and her husband was worried. Then she booked an appointment with her doctor. After several tests, the doctor suggested the couple be patient and that she will surely get pregnant. Not long after, Adunni was pregnant. After several months, Adunni was delivered of a boy. The women in her neighbourhood, alongside the children, sang and danced to her home to celebrate with her. Her husband, Fredrick Olagbade, thanked the Lord and named the boy Juwon.     As Juwon grew, his mother had another child whose name was Olakitan. Juwon was intelligent and his parents were struggling to make ends meet. As poverty st...
6 comments
Read more

NEW RELEASE: Those Ghostly Victorians by Annette Siketa

  Those Ghostly Victorians by Annette Siketa ABOUT THE BOOK At its zenith, the belief in ghosts in the Victorian era bordered on the hysterical. From stately homes to deserted wells, no dwelling was complete without a resident ghost. Halls and mansions and even the odd palace or two, spawned a multitude of family legends, many of which still persist. Many people claimed to have direct contact with a ghost through an object such as a ouija board or a pen, the latter collectively known as 'spiritual writing'. For example, a secretary allegedly continued to take dictation from his employer long after the latter was dead. Whether it was through books, plays, or supposedly true stories, the influence of the supernatural was profound. And it is not difficult to understand why, especially in the 'lower class', the majority of whom were uneducated. With nothing but drabness and poverty on the horizon, events such as a windy night or a violent storm were likely to set the ima...
Post a Comment
Read more