Fantastic Fiction: Zahrah and the Windseeker Review

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Bibliography

Okorafor, Nnedi.  Zahrah the Windseeker.  Boston:  Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2013.  eBook.  ISBN:  9780547529516.

Summary

Thirteen-year-old Zahrah lives in Kirki, a village in the Ooni Kingdom, on the fictional planet of Ginen.  In a land fixated on appearance and being “civilized,” her eccentric hair makes her a misfit to the highest power.  Zahrah has dada locks, living vines entwined in her thick braids. The Ooni people denounce their mystical past and bitterly resist all remnants of it, including Windseekers like Zahrah and the Forbidden Greeny Jungle at the far edge of town.  Their close-mindedness leaves her painfully ostracized and insecure. She discovers that her scornful locks come with beautiful gifts, like wisdom and flight.  When her dearest friend ventures into the enchanted jungle and is bitten by a war snake, Zahrah must use her supernatural powers to get the antidote: the egg of an egregious, murderous beast. 

Critical Analysis

The danger of being afraid is the predominant theme of Windseeker.  Paranoia costs Zahrah and her people dearly. She withdraws in fear of ridicule from her classmates.  Because of her trepidation to fly, she insists on practicing in the secluded jungle, which she puts her and Dari in harm’s way. Ironically, she is acrophobic, which delays her gift for a long time.  She eventually conquers her fear of rejection and judgment. Talking bravely with the animals of the Greeny Jungle gets her to her destination and out of trouble.  Once hesitant to even levitate, she develops control over her flying, a skill that ultimately delivers her.  She is infected with a poison that renders her unconscious if she gets too excited, so mastering fear is essential to her very survival.  This novel will encourage young people to step out of their comfort zones and dare to do the impossible.  It will motivate them to embrace the unknown inside of themselves and the world around them:  Try out for the team, ask the girl or guy out, raise your hand in class, wear that outfit, study abroad, et cetera.

Developing confidence and owning oneself are major themes that will greatly empower adolescents.  Zarah is obsessed with peoples’ perception of her.  Appearance is a huge part of social standing in her culture, so much so that citizens have mirrors sewn into their clothing and adorning their walls to constantly check their tidiness.  As Zahrah treks through the jungle, unable to bathe or groom, clothes tattered and dirty, and skin marred, she starts to care less and less about how she looks.  Gorillas playfully tease her about being human.  The banter, and more importantly, her encounter with the deadly elgort, make all the teasing back in the Ooni village seem trivial.  She draws confidence from navigating the jungle with relative ease after a few weeks, her clever ways of circumventing creatures, recognition of the wildlife, and the flying skills that save her life.  Zahrah sends a strong message to young adults like herself who struggle with their appearance and self-esteem:  Derive confidence not from your looks, but your deeds.  Appearance merely reflects DNA, but your talents are laudable because you cultivate them.  She does not start out strong, but becomes comfortable in her skin as she learns herself.  This gives teens hope that as they grow and do some introspection, they will find plenty to love about themselves.

Windseeker instills in readers the value of friendship. Zarah is the quiet, pensive, measured, shy yin to Dari’s outspoken, charming, impulsive, confident yang.  He teaches her how to disregard what others think and listen to her heart. He is one of the few people who truly sees her essence.  Her love and loyalty for Dari push her past her fears; when she wants to surrender to the jungle, these keep her going.  As she gains courage, she befriends Nsibidi the shopwoman (and fellow Windseeker) and the gorilla troupe.  These liaisons give her wisdom and strength.  Young people can learn much here.  When it comes to friends, it is not strength in number, but strength of character that counts.  Kids will take heart that they do not have to shadowbox in the popularity ring.  All they need are a few true friends to ride shotgun through life with.  The people who hold you down and pull you through are the only ones important enough to impress.

Young adult readers, with their technological infatuation, will learn to respect tradition.  The Ooni people are modern. They abandoned the rich traditions of yore in favor of technology and are now are afraid of their magical roots. Zarah marvels at how gorillas live harmoniously in their village without any technology. She suffers a bout of depression from lack of natural sunlight – her glow flower’s artificial light is no match for natural sunshine. The compass and digi-book devices are cumbersome, loud, and unreliable. Wisdom, a characteristic of the old generation, is her greatest asset as her gadgets fail.   This is perhaps a warning to the younger generation to know its history and rely on human ingenuity. 

Windseeker emphasizes exploration over ignorance. The Ooni village is insular, with no interest in what lies beyond its border. The field guide on the Forbidden Greeny Jungle is considered taboo literature, but this same book that no one dares to check out saves Zahrah and Dari’s lives. She finds that their kingdom is only a fraction of the world, that in the jungle, the animals and vegetation are intelligent, resourceful, even kind. Oonis are missing out because of self-imposed ignorance.  If the people would explore the jungle, they would expand their territory and arsenal of resources. This is pertinent to young adults because it urges them to be innovative, to ask questions about the world, and to tinker and create.

This book definitely has its strengths and weaknesses. Children will be exposed to a colorful, unique culture, and the fantastical backdrop makes this exposure fun rather than cumbersome and dry.  Pictures are great for reluctant readers because they bring the mythical creatures to life.  The various types of wildlife are described vividly and have amazing abilities; Okorafor is supremely creative. The book reminds kids to appreciate the old as they relish in the conveniences of the new.  It is funny, light, and a quick, easy read.  On the other hand, Zahrah is excessively obedient and childlike in her timidity.  Although obedience is a feature of African culture, today’s youth would see the characters as dorky, especially at an age where kids rebel in an effort to assert their independence. Drawn-out description causes lags in the plot – Zahrah spends whole chapters crying and having panic attacks. References to CPU flowers and plant architecture are confusing because readers do not get background on how technology is powered by plants.  Also, the typos in the eBook detract from meaning.

 Zahrah the Windseeker has a strong place in young adult literature because it is a true coming of age book in every sense of the phrase. Zahrah is an empowered female protagonist who has supernatural abilities, pluck, and grace; she embodies the type of character that today’s teenage girl wants to read about. Her growth is traceable throughout the book; readers emerge from the metaphorical “jungle” of adolescent insecurity and uncertainty strong and knowledgeable, just like her.  The messages of self-awareness and embracing one’s quirks are especially timely.  Finally, the way Okorafor weaves together folkales with fantasy, the ancient and the nouveau (Nigerian tradition and science fiction modernity), is a wonderful model for cross-genre writing.

Awards

• 2008 Wole Solyinka Prize for Literature in Africa

Reviews

Masters, Jonathan.  Rev. of Zahrah the Windseeker by Nnedi Okorafor-Mbachu.  Voices of Youth Advocates 1 Feb. 2006.  Web.  Accessed July 8 2015. 

Extension Activities

1. After’While, Crocodile – Librarians go to http://www.dentistbird.com/index.html# to download the Dentist Bird app.  Using a Smart Board or tablet, read the West African folktale, Dentist Bird.  Play the Mission of Mercy game to keep the bird in flight and collect as much medicine as possible for the sick crocodile (class).  Complete the “Parts of a Story” and “Make a Story Map” sheets as a class (found in Teacher’s Guide under “Parents and Teachers tab”). 
2. Powering Up the Future – Zahrah talks about many futuristic technologies, such as the glow flower and CPU seeds.  Brainstorm a type of technology that will exist in the future.  List its name, what existing technology it will replace, how it will run, capabilities, and how it will make life easier.  Then, draw and color your invention.  Use any available art supplies (beads, construction paper, foil, pipe cleaners, cardboard, yarn, etc) to make it 3-D.
3. In the Eye of the Tiger – Zahrah describes the animals and plants of the Forbidden Greeny Jungle from her point of view.  Unfortunately, since few Oonis will enter the jungle, we only hear frightful legends of how terrible the land and its inhabitants are.  Flip the script!  Pretend that you are one of the animals or plants she describes and tell what life is like and what you think of humans.  List what you look like (colors, size, markings, body covering, etc), eat, where you live in the jungle, if you are good or bad, and how the people who enter the jungle treat you. 

Related Literature

• Okorafor, Nnedi.  Akata Witch.  New York:  Viking Books for Young Readers, 2011.  Print.  ISBN: 978-0670011964 – This tome, also written by Windseeker author Okorafor, tells the story of twelve-year-old Sunny.  A misfit like Zahrah, she is an American-born girl living in Nigeria who suffers from albinism.  Though her condition inhibits her ability to make friends and play sports, it comes with magical powers that she and her gifted friends will need to foil a serial killer.
• Farmer, Nancy.  A Girl Named Disaster. New York:  Scholastic Paperbacks, 2012.  Print.  ISBN:  978-0545356626 – Like Zahrah, eleven-year-old Shona embarks on a long and dangerous journey into the wild for a noble purpose.  Fleeing to her father to escape a suitor, she battles the wilderness, elements, hunger, and despair.  Her connection to the spirit world and a bond with a family of baboons keep her alive.
• Paulsen, Gary.  Hatchet.  New York:  Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2007.  Print.  ISBN:  978-1416925088 – This realistic fiction novel would make a nice, if not unorthodox pairing with Windseeker, as they are both YA survival stories.  Thirteen-year-old Brian must navigate the treacherous wilderness after the bush plane that is supposed to take him to his father crashes in the Canadian forest.  Like Zahrah, he uses paltry tools, his instincts, and newfound knowledge of the terrain and wildlife to survive.