Chaos

They say dogs are man’s best friend, but in this story, a dog creates…Chaos!

Based on a traditional Ethiopian “teret,” a wise Ethiopian saying that rhymes in Amharic, the story follows a hungry dog as it disrupts the daily life of its family to get a taste of chicken wat, leaving a trail of chaos in his wake. Side by side bilingual translations support emerging readers as they develop vocabulary and fluency in indigenous Ethiopian languages like Amharic, Tigrinya and Afaan Oromo. Engaging themes and familiar sayings engage young readers, and playful artwork will capture their attention.

Author Caroline Kurtz heard the proverb “A thief loves chaos” from one of her Ethiopian friends on a recent trip while they were driving to discuss solar energy with community leaders in Maji. She decided to make the thief in the story a dog just waiting for a tasty meal.