BOOK REVIEW: Ogaba and the Enchanted Cave by Obande Sunny Jack

 

Ogaba and the enchanted cave

Ogaba and the Enchanted Cave is a quite easy-to-read yet elegant prose targeted for pre-teens and early teenagers. The vocabulary is concise, adequate and fitting for that demographic. Perhaps what is more endearing about the text is its capacity to weave timeless human values into the narrative while placing premium on them. Values such as hardwork, cleanliness, politeness, cheerfulness, wisdom, and the like are rewarded when being practiced especially by children. For example, Ogaba’s cleanliness and wisdom fetches him liberty from the Ojujus.

Worthy of note is the environmental consciousness of the writer who brings to the fore the geography, flora, and fauna typically obtainable in the middle belt of Nigeria such as the great Benue River, the Cattle and nomads, as well as the vegetation of the place. His love for plants, especially flowers comes out more vividly.

The writer himself is not new to the craft of children’s literature. In fact, he could be said to be dexterous in the craft. His first book, Agbenu and the Forest Spirits (initially published in 2005), is currently a recommended text by Universal Basic Education (UBEC) for use in Nigerian secondary schools. His other book, A Miracle for Daddy (2015), was shortlisted for the highly coveted Nigerian NLNG Prize for Children’s Literature. It is then easy to foresee Obande’s Ogaba and Enchanted Cave take up a space among Nigerian children’s literature classics as well as its celebration in the near future. Posterity will surely include Sunny Jack Obande’s name in the Children’s Literature authors’ hall of fame.

Censorship of children’s literature, especially Nigerian children’s literature, is quite imperative in the face encroaching global cultures that could affect moral values upheld nationally. Obande’s Ogaba and the Enchanted Cave doesn’t contain any controversy that could lead to any censorship. This means that the book is safe for both children and adults to read. Researchers in the field of Children’s literature will also find the text as an invaluable material for research. On the whole, it is an unforgettable read.  

 

Sunny Jack Obande

Obande Sunny Jack is the author of Agbenu and the Forest Spirits (Apex, Lagos 2005, new edition by Human Change Communication, 2018. Third edition printed by Advance Publishers, Kaduna 2018, in collaboration with Universal Basic Education (UBEC) for use in secondary schools in Nigeria.

Obande is also the author of A Miracle for Daddy (Accomplish Press, UK, 2015). A Miracle for Daddy was shortlisted for the prestigious Nigerian NLNG Prize for Children’s Literature. He is an alumnus of the NLNG Masterclass in Children’s Literature.

--Reviewer, Bizuum Yadok is the Chairman, Plateau Writers Society (PLAWS) and author of King of the Jungle, and, Echoes of the Plateau.

 

Sunny Jack Obande