Dan Auta: An African Tale

When Sarra and Dan Auta’s parents die, they instruct older sister Sarra to never leave infant Dan Auta and to never let him cry. Sarra soon discovers that Dan Auta causes trouble wherever he goes, trouble which leads to the duo’s leaving more than one location in haste. Then they arrive at a fortified city that is beleaguered at night time by a dangerous beast. Could Dan Auta’s penchant for trouble lead to a solution?

The text in this book is presented in a number of ways, including in paragraph form, inside speech bubbles, and as helpful labels for the illustrations. This variety adds visual interest and keeps the reader glued to the page. Despite the busyness of the text placement and illustrations, the story is easy to follow, with the eyes instinctively knowing where to go next. The vocabulary used is straightforward. Words not commonly used in Canada are provided with translations or short explanations so that North American readers are never lost.

Young readers who enjoy rascally protagonists will certainly enjoy this story. Dan Auta is impulsive and leaves destruction in his wake. Unsurprisingly, his actions often fall far outside common standards of propriety. Two memorable examples include his peeing on a king’s head and sticking his finger into a bird’s cloaca. Adult readers should read the book ahead of time to ensure that they are comfortable reading Dan Auta’s shenanigans out loud.

The illustrations were created using mixed media. The copyright page lists collage, pastel, rubber stamping, and gouache as the primary mediums. Most pages feature numerous spot illustrations or frames on an empty white background. In the hands of a less skilled illustrator, this would lead to a confusing read. Instead, the variety of images adds a kinetic energy to the story and propel the reader forward. The illustrations, themselves, are not detailed and occasionally have a childish quality to them which pairs with the young, impertinent protagonist.

The tale of Dan Auta is an interesting case as it is billed as a traditional Hausa story (according to Wikipedia, the Hausa are a cultural group located in West and Central Africa) but seems to feature no Hausa creators. The artist hails from South Africa, but there is no indication that he is Hausa. The Eritrean translator may or may not be Hausa, but they state in the afterword that they had never heard of this story before beginning work on the book. The book flap and afterword report that the story was first written down by an amateur German archaeologist. The tale was then translated from German into Spanish by a noted philosopher. The version found in this book is translated from that Spanish text. Alarmingly, there is no mention of any efforts to check in with Hausa storytellers in order to gain historical or cultural context nor to ensure that this retelling, which is a translation of a translation of a translation of a translation, remains faithful to the traditional story.

The sheer number of creators credited for this book is unquestionably odd. That being said, their roles can mostly be deduced. While I am unsure what the retired psychiatry professor and poet contributed to the publication (it already has two translators), they are given a multi-paragraph afterword to sing the story’s praises. All in all, I would have loved to see a clearer description of the process followed to create this book. From the information provided, this seems like more of an enthusiastic passion project than a commitment to sharing a loyal retelling of a traditional story.

All characters in Dan Auta are Black and, for the most part, slim. Other than an elder using a cane, no disabilities are depicted in the illustrations.

Dan Auta’s shenanigans will entertain young readers, but its presentation as an authentic retelling of a traditional story is problematic.