Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People`s Ears: A West African Tale

Verna Aardema

The illustrations for Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People’s Ears were inspired by the designs of African fabrics. Bold and stylized, using strong but muted colors, the paintings are striking in their composition and dramatic in their interpretation of a West African tale retold by Verna Aardema. Mosquito tells a tall tale. A chain reaction begins that culminates in Owl’s refusal to hoot and wake the sun; although light is restore to the world, the mosquito has a guilty conscience to this day, and whines in people’s ears, «Is everyone still angry at me?» The viewpoints, giving an opportunity for humorous interpretation of which the Dillions take full advantage.