Sam Umealu

Dream Tales (Volume 4) Sam Umealu

Dream Tales book series is a set of story books. Each book contains a number stories. The Stories of the Dream Tales book series are similar to "Alice in Wonderland," but drawn from the Igbo folklore. This is the fourth book in the series. The Igbo are an ethnic group in West Africa. Storytelling is considered a valuable art by the Igbo. As a child, I listened to tales from an endless stock of the Igbo folklore. I was told these stories at bedtime, by my grandmother, an aunt or an uncle. The same story was sometimes re-told but differently and with a dose of personal flavor. These tales often revolve around the tortoise and his wily ways, in a fabled universe where mankind and animals shared the same language and lived happily together. This mythical world also shared boundaries with the mystic world of the spirits, and entities from both worlds freely interacted with one another. My daughter, Chinelo, has been my inspiration in writing these stories. I tell her these stories at bedtime. She enjoys them and always asking for more. These stories make her look forward to bedtime just like they made me when I was a child. The Dream Tales are interesting and entertaining with the power to transport readers and listeners to the mystic world of the spirits and a mythical kingdom where mankind and animal belong to the same specie of beings. The book will be enjoyed world wide by children of reading age, from all cultures and by adults as well. It is the sort of book an adult would read in summer while sitting on the beach, under a tree or in a hammock; in winter by the fireplace or tucked in bed; or just to pass time in the train or on the plane. The book can be read to children as bedtime stories or re - told adapted to suit the mood, interests, personality or age of the child.