African Book Week: Chike and the River

Chike and the River

Chike and the River is a children's story by Chinua Achebe. It was first published in 1966 by Cambridge University Press, with illustrations by Prue Theobalds, and was the first of several children's stories Achebe would write.

Plot

It is the story of a Nigerian boy called Chike who leaves his village, Umuofia, to go and stay with his uncle in the big city of Onitsha.

Reviews

Reviewing a 2011 reprint of the book, New York Journal of Books said: "In Chike and the River, young readers get an intimate look at African life, learn about the Niger River, and connect with Chike as if he is their own sibling. The brilliance of Mr. Achebe’s prose is his ability to make a reader feel like an omniscient sprite on Chike’s shoulder: along for the ride and privy to all that he senses and sees."

References

·  Ulin, David L. (August 16, 2011). "Book review: 'Chike and the River' by Chinua Achebe". The Los Angeles Times. latimesblogs.latimes.com. Retrieved 13 April 2016.

·  Gabriel Constans, review of Chike and the River, New York Journal of Books, 9 August 2011.