Bringing the Rain to Kapiti Plain by Verna Aardema

Aardema, Verna, and Beatriz Vidal. Bringing the Rain to Kapiti Plain: a Nandi Tale. New York: Dial, 1981. Print. 32 pages.

• ISBN-10: 0140546162
• ISBN-13: 978-0140546163

This is an old African folktale about a herdsman named Ki-pat. Ki-pat needs rain for the grass to grow, so his cows do not die. Ki-pat makes a bow and arrow and shoots the arrow into the black rain cloud. The arrow helps to change the weather so the grass can grow and the cows can live.

http://teacherlink.ed.usu.edu/tlresources/units/byrnes-literature/SECurtis.html


This book would be a good introduction to students about some of the different cultures in Africa.  It also using repetition and rhyming techniques.  Something the students could do for this would be to write something about an unfamiliar culture they are learning about and use some of the techniques shown in this story.