Kitoto the Mighty

Steve Pitt is a Toronto-based freelance writer and an award-winning journalist. He has written many young adult and children's books, including Day of the Flying Fox: The True Story of World War II Pilot Charley Fox.

Kitoto the Mouse is tired of running for his life, so he decides to find
a powerful ally who can protect him from danger. Kitoto looks around and
sees a huge river and concludes that it must be the mightiest force on
earth. But when he asks the river for

its protection, the river says the sun is more powerful. Kitoto journeys
to where the sun lives and asks for its protection, but the sun declares
that the

wind is even stronger. Again and again, Kitoto is referred to a greater
power until he finds himself deep inside a mountain, still seeking the
most powerful protector in the world. Suddenly he comes face to face
with a mighty creature, but when Kitoto asks for this his protection,
Kitoto is shocked by the answer.

Many versions of this ancient tale have been told around the world. In
perhaps the most familiar version, the protagonist arrogantly searches
the world for the one person worthy enough to marry. Tololwa Mollel puts
his unique spin on the tale by changing the protagonist’s motive from
matrimony to mere survival. This variation works exceptionally well
because Mollel takes the story one step further. Kitoto is not only
surprised when he meets the world’s most powerful being, but he is
also humbled when he learns something very important about himself.
Kristi Frost’s flamboyant depictions of savannah landscapes and
anthropomorphic creatures are especially enjoyable. Highly recommended.