Kidega is a former child soldier who grew up in Acholiland, in the village of Acaya. All Kidega ever dreamed of was playing football for Kampala City Council F.C. (KCC) just like Latigo. (Latigo originates from Kitgum District in Northern Uganda; he captivated the nation with his football soccer] talent. What Michael Jordan achieved in basketball, Latigo achieved in soccer.) But then, at the age of thirteen, Kidega's life was eclipsed by the death of his family and his abduction and training as a soldier. Kidega undergoes Mato Oput, a cleansing ceremony, in his journey of forgiveness and reconciliation. Kidega remembered Ladit Naptali Ocoo's words: "It is possible to break the cycle of hate and revenge. It is possible to find peace again." As Kidega stood there, on the edge of his new life, with the pain and devastation of the past behind him, he knew, finally, that this was true.

Perhaps you have met Winnie the Pooh! Perhaps your heart was swept away when Cinderella married the prince. Maybe you stayed up late dreaming of Santa on The night Before Christamas! Have you checked your closet Where the Wild Things are and called your mother in the middle of the night? Or, did tears roll down your face when Humpty Dumpty had a great fall? Now, the beloved characters of classic African folklore can enthall you! They will equally delight your heart with humor, wisdom and life lessons that have enchanted African children in centuries past. You will discover in this book why elephants are scared of the mice.

Kidega is a former child soldier who grew up in Acholiland, in the village of Acaya. All Kidega ever dreamed of was playing football for Kampala City Council F.C. (KCC) just like Latigo. (Latigo originates from Kitgum District in Northern Uganda; he captivated the nation with his football soccer] talent. What Michael Jordan achieved in basketball, Latigo achieved in soccer.) But then, at the age of thirteen, Kidega's life was eclipsed by the death of his family and his abduction and training as a soldier. Kidega undergoes Mato Oput, a cleansing ceremony, in his journey of forgiveness and reconciliation. Kidega remembered Ladit Naptali Ocoo's words: "It is possible to break the cycle of hate and revenge. It is possible to find peace again." As Kidega stood there, on the edge of his new life, with the pain and devastation of the past behind him, he knew, finally, that this was true.

The Wishing Needle is adapted from a Ugandan folktale. I first heard this story when I visited my grandmother. Every evening I listened to mygrandmother's stories. My grandmother had about twenty eight chickens and she had named each one of them. She called her chickens by name. Mygrandmother woke up very early everyday to let her chickens out.

One day, my grandmother's favorite chicken, Toke, disappeared. We were all saddened by Toke's disappearance. That evening we sat by the fire andsadly remembered Toke. After a long silence, grandmother started to narrate the story of The Wishing Needle.

This is a story about a grandmother who shielded her grandchildren and diverted their focus from the impending war. Join her as she enthralls hergrandchildren with a story of a tortoise that captivated the animal world with the beauty of his shell that seemed to illuminate its path with colorsof the rainbow. She will take you to the world of animals when a long forgotten language was spoken, you will be spell bound by tortoise's demise whenhis shell ended up with scars and lost its luminous beauty. The back drop of this story is a looming war that can be heard far away.