Rhinos for Lunch and Elephants for Supper!

Lisa Arsenault is a public-school teacher in Ajax, Ontario.

This is a Maasai folk tale with David-and-Goliath undertones. A hare
returns to her den to discover it occupied by an invisible intruder, who
frightens her away with the shouted warning that it is a monster who
eats rhinos for lunch and elephants for supper. A variety of
animals—ranging in size from a fox to an elephant—assure the hare
that they can scare the intruder away, but when they approach the den
they, too, flee from the threats of the unseen monster. Finally, a
little frog is the only animal brave enough to stand her ground and
confront the alleged monster. She discovers that it is, in fact, a tiny
(but audacious) caterpillar.

The suspense builds gradually, with many repetitions of the monster’s
fierce threats, to the surprise ending. It is also a happy ending: once
his ruse is discovered, the caterpillar leaves the den peacefully, and
all the animals laugh at themselves for being afraid of such a tiny
creature. The illustrations are excellent. The character of each animal
is given visual expression; the jungle is a lush paradise filled with
exotic creatures; and each page is embellished with a colorful border
representing a stylized adaptation of an African tribal motif.