On the Road to Moko Jumbi
Dreams
Book review by Althea Romeo-Mark published in volume
26 of The Caribbean Writer (www.thecaribbeanwriter.org)
Alcess
Lewis-Brown’s Moko Jumbi Dreams, illustrated by Wayne “Bully,” Petersen and
Cynthia Hatfield, is the first in her Moko Jumbi Majorette series. The 107 page
book, which was published by Little Bell Caribbean in 2011, is an imprint of
Editorial Campana, New York.
This Special U.S.
Virgin Islands Edition of Moko Jumbi Dreams, commissioned by
the Office of the Governor, is a gift to the United States Virgin Islands children.
The book, which is intended for youth ages 9-12, is not only to be read for
pleasure but is also a medium for teaching social awareness, Caribbean history
and geography. In addition, it encourages children to analyze words, explore
and experiment with them.
Set in St.
Croix, the story is unveiled through the eyes of a pre-teen named Lexi Govia. It examines themes of friendship,
relationships, estrangement, xenophobia, discrimination, self discovery,
determination and reconciliation. Predominant themes, however, are self-discovery
and xenophobia.
Lexi’s road to self-discovery had
started before her, best friend, Yanna relocated. They had shared “their thoughts and daydreams in a thinking
game they had created (12.),”and discussed Lexi’s insecurity about her height. She “had
tried everything possible to help her body grow. Sometimes she stood in front
of the living room mirror while stretching up her chin and rotating her head
and neck…….Some days she even tied soda cans to her feet and walked about on
them (p. 12).” Her shortness had
enhanced her fascination with moko jumbies. “They danced on wooden stilt legs way above the ground…. combining the
concept of walking on a moko jumbi stilts with twirling a majorette baton was
what she daydreamed about all of the time (p.10).” However an approaching
hurricane is a metaphor for the unraveling tensions that threaten to impede
Lexi’s dream.
Lexi’s new
neighbor, Bucky, a precocious adolescent fostered by Ivy Phelps, arrives. Lexi’s mother (Mrs. Govia) notices their
“accents.” “Sounds as if she is from one
of those islands (p.27),” and refers to Ivy Phelps as a “conundrum (p. 27).”
Mrs. Govia, an immigrant herself, shows her hypocrisy and her mother (Granny)
cautions, “Bee, I raised you to be proud
of your own heritage.” Mr. Govia tells his wife, “Don’t jump to conclusions now (p.28).” Unfortunately, the fear of
strangers becomes virulent.
Ivy
Phelps is licensed to operate a child care service. But neighbor, Mrs. Debra Lean, assumes the
children are criminals and “just wants
the lovely neighborhood to stay the way it is (p. 32).” Mrs. Leans tramps
door to door with a petition aimed at ostracizing and ridding the neighborhood
of Ivy Phelps and her foster home, plants a sign (Leave!!! Leave this neighborhood) in Ivy Phelp’s yard, and tries to
persuade neighbors to sell their property.
Lexi’s
father, Mr.Govia, and maternal grandmother, rebukes Mrs. Lean, “You can’t just paint everyone with the same
brush (p.34).” Lexi , witness to Mrs Lean irrationalism, is warned by her
parents about fear “… a concept that can
act like a disease among people… It can destroy communities because when it
grabs people, it has a way of causing them to do and say unbelievable things
(p.66). Appalled by Mrs. Leans prejudice, Lexi becomes an activist and sets
out to counteract her influence with a survey.
Lexi’s
activism creates conflict with her new friends, Mrs. Lean and her parents. Bucky
and his foster family, lash out at Lexi. “You
can’t fix us… you need to take it easy (p59).” They feel her activism has
worsened matters. Lexi’s parents scold her for labeling Mrs. Lean as “mean.” “You can get the same results without making
people feel bad...Every action creates a reaction (p, 67).” The hurricane
arrives “as if a fat, black hand lay
across the day and was slowly closing its fingers around, to squeeze out its
light (p.77).” Its destructive aftermath
exposes the community’s vulnerability and brings them together.
The
book addresses the xenophobic mentality that has plagued the Virgin Islands for
decades and teaches tolerance. It also draws attention to second generation
immigrant amnesia and urges against falling into that trap.
Though
Lexi’s moko jumbi majorette dreams are deferred, she learns to walk on stilts, learns
to walk tall as an activist and walks tall in her new knowledge of human
frailty and strengths.
The
book also promotes critical thinking and explores Caribbean island history and
geography. Chapter one introduces many thinking words. One of the first is “concept.”
“So, combining the concept of walking on
moko jumbi stilts with twirling a majorette baton was what she daydreamed about
all the time (p.11).” New words are
the basis of Lexi’s and Yanna’s “thinking game,” which had no rules. Lexi declares “I can create any new word, just as long as my word fits the ideas that
I have in my head. Ideas make up
concepts. (p. 15).”
Precocious
Bucky gives geography and history lessons. He communicates his knowledge about
the hurricane’s path, the Windward Islands, the Pillsbury Sound and we tour the
Caribbean with his alphabet game. “What
about Y,” asks Joan and Bucky explains that “Young Island is another one of
the islands in the Grenadines (p.18),” and tells us that “the island was the home of a Carib Indian chief who traded it for a
black stallion (p.18).” From Mambo
we learn that Borinquen was the Taino Indian word for the island of Puerto Rico
(p.69).
Mr.
Govia reveals that Senepol cows were imported from Senegal by the Nelthrops, a
Danish family on the island of St. Thomas (p.17), educates the children about
Aristotle, (p.22) and the origin of the breadfruit (p.80).
Lexi’s
introduces Switzerland and Kenya, the home of President Barack Obama’s father
(p. 20), and Mrs. Lean’s alienated son teaches Rastafarianism, love and
forgiveness. Her grandmother is a vessel of proverbs.
The
book although entertaining and educational is not without obstacles. Chapter one is heavy with thinking words and
an impatient reader may be tempted to give up.
It is smooth sailing, however, thereafter. One also questions the taxing
vocabulary but the objective is for children to be challenged.
I
commend the USVI government and Alcess Lewis-Brown for developing a project
which encourages reading and provides stories relevant to Caribbean and the US
Virgin Islands, home to generations of immigrants.
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