Mufaro's Beautiful Daughters
by John Steptoe
This is the story of Mufaro who is proud of his two beautiful daughters. Nyasha is kind and considerate but Manyara is selfish and bad-tempered. When the king decides to take a wife and invites the most worthy daughters in the land to appear before him Mufaro brings both of his daughters—but only one can be queen. Who will the king choose?
Reading Tips for Story Explorers
Find a comfortable space to read together
Slow down and enjoy the illustrations
Ask and answer questions together
Make reading part of your routine - bedtime is a great time for reading
Use these prompts to encourage deeper thinking with your children:
"Tell me more, why do you think that?"
"How do you know that?"
"Interesting, did you notice anything else?"
Phonemic Awareness
When introducing the book, share the title and notice these phonemic elements:
The first word in the title starts with the letter Mm. The letter Mm says /m/, like in muffin, milk, and monkey. Point to the sound and say the sound together: /m/, /m/, /m/. Brainstorm other words that begin with the sound /m/ with your child (mom, money, mud).
Ask the children to say the word after you. Show them the cover of the book and have them read the word out loud with you as you point under each word.
Vocabulary
Transfix: To cause one to stand/sit without movement due to surprise or shock
Chamber: A person's bedroom
Millet: A type of grass whose seeds are used for food
Considerate: Thinking about the feelings; showing kindness towards others
Proclaim: To say or state something loudly
Silhouette: A dark shape against a light background
Garment: An item of clothing
Commotion: A noisy excitement or disturbance
Questions to Discuss
What can you tell from the illustrations (pictures) about how people in this village lived?
Why does Manyara believe kindness is a weakness?
Mufaro says, “Only a King can choose between two such worthy daughters.” Why does Mufaro make this statement?
How is the king disguised in the story?
How are the sisters in the story different from each other? Why do you think Manyara doesn’t not like Nyasha?
When do you think the king decided that Nyasha was the one to become queen?
Manyara is jealous of Nyasha. Think about a time that you have been jealous and discuss with an adult.
Let's Play
In the story, the King is disguised as a snake named Nyoka. Make and decorate a snake and give it a name. Hide the snake around your home. Give your adult clues to find the snake. Play Hot or Cold: As the adult gets closer to the snake, say “warmer” or “hot!” If the adult moves further away from the snake, say “colder” or “freezing!” Continue until the snake is found.
