Yomi and the Fury of Ninki Nanka
by Davina Tijani, illustrated by Adam Douglas-Bagley
Interest age: 8 to 10
Reading age: 8+
Published by Little Tiger, 2023
About this book
Yomi, aged around 10 and her younger brother Kay are spending the summer with their Uncle Olu who is a Nkara (dragon) researcher travelling the world lecturing on African studies. They are in The Gambia’s capital city Banjul when Yomi sees Ninki Nanka, the famous and ferocious water dragon and realises it is in trouble. Uncle Olu doesn’t believe her at first. Slowly Yomi finds out about the true nature of her uncle’s work which goes far deeper than academic research but is actually more about fighting against Beast Hunters who want to wipe the Nkara out all together - which would have catastrophic results in The Gambia and beyond. Can they save Ninki Nanka and all dragons?
This is an energetic, fast-paced read great for 8-10 year olds that will keep children turning the pages. It’s a thrilling adventure and also a fabulous introduction to the fascinating folklore and rich mythology of The Gambia. Good news is this book is volume 1 of the Nkara Chronicles so there is more dragon adventure to come! Perfect for fans of the Beast Quest books.
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