Kubuka & The Magic Calabash

A Review from Bookchat.co.za:
"This is unexpectedly delightful. It’s a quest story with the need for a magic calabash to bring an end to the drought – but the hero Kubuka is a monkey. He’s as cheeky, mischievous and swollen-headed as all monkeys (or all small boys) and he teams up with a hyena. Together, they venture through a number of African magical testing grounds, for which the author has used fragments of local myths and legendary creatures. The bright bold pictures interweave with the text and add to the mystery as well as the fun. A splendidly African adventure for primary readers."

This book is ideal for kids aged 6 to 12 with good reading skills, and contains many colourful illustrations. Or read it to your kids - each chapter is around 10 pages long - perfect for a bedtime story session.
The story follows the little vervet monkey Kubuka who, after being tossed out of his tribe for misbehaving, makes a startling discovery while foraging inside a huge baobab. Living in the tree is the water spirit Amanzi, who tricks Kubuka into accepting a dangerous mission - to retrieve a magic calabash from Zaka the evil magician. The vessel is the key to Amanzi's freedom and the return of the rains.
On his journey Kubuka encounters friends (a hyena, a mystical black eagle, an aardvark), foes (enchanted baboons, an angry human) and mythical beings (the Umlimo oracle, the eagle goddess Shirichena... The story borrows from real African mythology, and includes accurate bushlore and wildlife behaviour. The reader is transported through wild landscapes to real places such as Lake Kariba, the Matobo Hills and the ancient stone fortress at Great Zimbabwe.
"With lots of laughs and thrills aplenty,'Kubuka and the Magic Calabash' will no doubt soon grow into a legend of its own," said a reviewer.
Many childrens-book connoisseurs of the grownup variety will enjoy this story, too, especially anyone who has been to Africa or who enjoys African wildlife stories and traditions.