Eleo the chameleon has very many friends in the forest. One day, this changes. His friends don't want to be with him any more. Young children will enjoy finding out why this happens, and how everything is put right.

Little Bird likes to sing but she does not like to work. Then her parents get lost and she finds out a lot about herself. Father and Mother Bird come home to find Little Bird who needs a new name.

The Princess wants to be married by a good, clever, wise and brave person. The test is that he should be able to drink hot boiling water. Many men, young and old, rich and poor, try their luck but cannot drink the boiling water. The Princess accepts Hare on account of his cleverness and ability to drink “hot boiling water”.

Tumpare breaks the cultural limitations of the girl-child through her sense of determination and self-drive. She wants to become a pilot but her parents discourage her. Her dreams begin to come true when she wins first
position in a national competition. It’s fun, adventure and excitement for Tumpare as she steps into the airbus for the first flight of her life.

Ori the baby oryx has just been born. His mother has to run away to save herself from Kamuniak the lioness. What will happen to poor Ori in the hostile wild?

Kemunto really loves sweets and eats them all the time. One day, her tooth breaks and the dentist has to pull it out. The question is can Kemunto say "Aaaah"? In the end she never wanted to say “Aaaah” again and so stopped eating sweets for breakfast, lunch, dinner and in bed!

Marion wants to be a doctor but how can she achieve her dream when she can no longer continue with school?

Chura becomes a very special frog when she starts jumping backwards. Her joy is short lived once she starts showing off. She loses her skill by accident, but not before she has learnt not to boast.

Published in the anthology entitled "The River Without Frogs"

This is the story of the small cockroach who wanted to be a rat, who wanted to be a cat, then wanted to be a dog who wanted to be a leopard that wanted to be a man. Now, can Monkey the magician really make a man out of a leopard that was a rat that was once a cockroach?

Goat, Donkey and Dog are great friends. They play, work and eat together. One day they decide to visit the city. What happens on this trip breaks their friendship.

Chura na rafiki yake Mjusi wantayarisha karamu kwa marafiki wao. Lakini tama yake Chura yapita mipaka. Anajaribu hila ili aile minofu yote, lakini kitendo hiki kinaishia kumtia kwenye hatari.

Hanna anawapenda wanyama. Ana Mbwa na paka lakini anataka wanyama zaidi. Baba yake atampa ruhusa kuwaweka?

Kapotei na Lulu wanapotea wakiwa wanahama pamoja na wazazi wao. Wanjikuta kwenye hali ya hatari wanapokumbana na Zimwi.

Kuku na jamii yake wanakumbana na matatizo kadhaa ambyo yanwafanya kuishi katika hali ya wasiwasi hasa kutokana na vitisho vya Mwewe.

Asubuhi baada ya mti mkubwa kuangushwa na mvua, Pela anatengeneza nyumba akitumia matawi. Aliwaalika marafiki wake, ndege, kuku, paka na mbwa lakini hawawezi kukutana wote kwa pamoja.

Mende anakutana na Mganga anayeweza kumbadirisha. Anageuzwa kuwa panya; akiwa panya anataka kuwa paka; akiwa paka anataka kuwa mbwa; akiwa mbwa anataka kuwa chui; akiwa chui anataka kuwa binadamu. Ni kipi kitatokea?

Nyani Mdogo anapenda kuuliza maswali mengi kuhusu ndege. Babu yake anamshauri aende porini akajifunze. Aliona ndege mmoja ambaye alimsumbua akili yake sana. Ndege huyo ni nani?

Eleo the chameleon has very many friends in the forest. One day, this changes. His friends don't want to be with him any more. Young children will enjoy finding out why this happens, and how everything is put right.

Little Bird likes to sing but she does not like to work. Then her parents get lost and she finds out a lot about herself. Father and Mother Bird come home to find Little Bird who needs a new name.

This is the story of the small cockroach who wanted to be a rat, who wanted to be a cat, then wanted to be a dog who wanted to be a leopard that wanted to be a man. Now, can Monkey the magician really make a man out of a leopard that was a rat that was once a cockroach?

Children’s Musical Play first performed by Riara Primary School at the Kenya National Theatre, November 1987.

"Fire, Fire" Story in Pied Crow issue No 62: Biodiversity. CARE

"Another Country" Poem in Pied Crow issue No 64: Girl Child, CARE.

"Thief!" Pied Crow issue No. 66 on Mob justice. CARE

Anthology of stories written by Kenya primary school children (Eds. N. Mpesha and E. Alembi)

Author: Shila Nhemi: Midnight Blossom