The first book on the list is a retelling of a Bantu tale from Rwanda: Sebgugugu the Glutton, retelling written by Verna Aardema and illustrated by Nancy L. Clouse (1993)
The tale is old but the message is timeless: be careful what you ask for and don't be too greedy. Sebgugugu and his family suffer in poverty, and so they turn to the gods for help. One god helps Sebgugugu, and at first, he and his family are happy. He wants more, though, and he thinks he can get more because his first wish was granted. He uses up the bounty given to him and asks for more, he gets more, he takes advantage of the second gift, and he asks for a third. This continues for a while, with Sebgugugu ignoring the warnings ("You can have endless milk as long as you don't kill the cow," for example), and his wife's pleas to stop being so greedy.
I won't spoil the ending, but Sebgugugu goes too far and it comes back to hurt him.
This book could easily be used for a lesson on morality, African folklore, global folklore, or culture.
-Nick
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