Bouki Dances the Kokioko: A Comical Tale from Haiti

Bouki Dances the Kokioko: A Comical Tale from Haiti by Diane Wolkstein. Hardcover edition. ISBN: 9780152000349.

Bouki is fat. Bouki is awkward. So why would Malice ask him to dance the complicated Kokioko for the king? Bouki isn’t sure. All he knows is that if he does learn the dance, he can win the king’s money. Seems simple enough. But uh-oh, Bouki should’ve known better than to get involved with greedy Malice. This comical tale introduces readers to Haiti’s famous slapstick characters: the foolish Bouki and the clever Malice. And in the best tradition of the trickster tale, it treats them to something unexpected- a new dance, the hand-clapping, hip-swaying Kokioko.