Amazon.comIn this delightfully told tale, a young boy sets out to prove himself worthy of his village's respect and alms; after all, he is a chief's son. Yet this proof is not to come easily, and it is only after befriending a snake, an ant, and an alligator that the boy is saved from the perils of a boiling stewpot--in which he was to go as an intended ingredient! From the fine Rabbit Ears collection comes this African folk tale, as told by veteran yarn spinner Whoopi Goldberg. Goldberg varies her voice with each character, growing loud and soft, reeling the listener in as the plot unfolds. Jazzman Herbie Hancock, whose "Rockit" was an early-'80s megahit on MTV, provides a stimulating and propulsive score, all the better for the story's action. Koi and the Kola Nuts is a class act, sure to hold kids 5 and up in rapt attention. --Paige La Grone