Book Report: Little Tijani and the Blue Grasshopper

I refer back to the text a lot during my book report
I refer back to the text a lot during my book report

Little Tijani and the Blue Grasshopper is a story by Timothy Wanga. It has many settings in Kenya, including Lusumu forest, Mumias Primary School, and Mumias town. I estimate that this story takes place around the 1980s. It is quite modern, but not at modern as 2015. I can tell this by them talking about the problem of poaching, a Kenyan Visa, the broad roads in Nairobi, a bus to Nairobi, getting wacked with bamboo sticks or canes, and they could also buy fish with 100 Kenyan Shillings.

One main character is Little Tijani, who is a nice boy that is bold and brave. He is twelve years old and he is in grade 7. Another main character is Jack, who is a bulky boy and a close friend of Little Tijani. He is the bulkiest boy in the grade. Another main character is Emma, Little Tijani’s desk mate. Another main character is Big Tijani, who is a great friend of Little Tijani and meets Jack and Emma in chapter nine. He is accused of poaching elephants, but is actually a Nigerian researcher who loves animals. He is trying to protect them. Another main character is Tom, an enemy of Jack and Little Tijani. He is very mean to them. The final main character is one of the Game Wardens at Mumias Primary School, who is poaching for ivory and money. His name is Johnstone Ordero.

Little Tijani has to save his friend, Big Tijani, from jail. Big Tijani is accused of poaching and thrown in jail. But, he is actually a Nigerian reasercher, as you read above. One day, Little Tijani and his friend Jack were walking in the woods when a buffalo charged them. Little Tijani dodged left only to meet a game warden. The game warden shot at him only to miss and hit an elephant. The game warden hacked off the tusks of the elephant. He was the poacher. Little Tijani had proof that Big Tijani was innocent and that Mr. Ordero was guilty of poaching. Big Tijani was taken out of jail and Mr. Ordero and his accomplices had a 20-year sentence in jail.

One theme of the story is that you cannot blame anyone else for what you have done. For example, when the game warden sued Tijani for poaching, while the game warden was the poacher. That was pretty silly. Another lesson learned is that when you are mean to someone, you get karma. For example, when Tom tried to burn Little Tijani’s scout’s T-shirt, he accidentally burned the 6 of his shirt instead of the 9 of Little Tijani’s shirt.

I think this story is a really good story because the characters become friends, reduce poaching, and solve other problems. I recommend this story for people who have problems with other mean people or poaching. The impact this story has on me is that I know not to be mean to anyone or else bad things will happen to me. I learned that you are never too old or too young to stand up against people who are doing unfair or wrong things. You never know how a story could change your life!

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