"King Leopard is wise enough to plan for a successor: 'I must seek out the cleverest beast in our jungle. I must find one who is wise enough to rule well.' He plans a contest; the winner is to be named a prince and marry his daughter. Contestants must throw Leopard's spear up in the air and count to ten before it comes to earth again...The story is a strong one and will be an effective read-aloud."--Booklist
"The noted actress retells this lively, well-paced, and involving version of a Liberian folktale. Meddaugh's color-pencil and water-color paintings suit the text well. Readers and listeners of all ages will find this an irresistibly satisfying tale."--Publishers Weekly
"A clever tale about the jungle beasts learning to count, showing once again that being strong is not the same as being smart."--The New York Times
