Yassama and the Beaded Calabash by Lua Shayenne

First of all, Lua Shayenne’s voice was so profoundly colourful and resonant. I loved how her song and speech exchange was so fluid. Her voice was like a magnet that sucked me in by first sentence. I repeatedly listened to the story and never lost my awe in the quality of her voice. 

My daughter loved the sounds, especially the rooster’s crow and the calabash itself. For the age group that it is written for, I think it works very well. I especially loved the components that were routinely repeated. They ground the children and help connect the story together. The consistent representational sounds are a beautiful aspect to this story also. They help the children distinguish sounds from different percussion instruments.

I also appreciated the lack of film. Because it forced me to really listen and use my imagination to make my own landscape of the world of Yassama! 

Xin Wang