Summary
Pete Seeger's retelling of a South African folktale features a boy and his father — a magician — who use music and magic to save their town from the giant Abiyoyo. LeVar Burton explores how storytelling and song unite communities.
Viewer safety
All ages
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Teaching resources
Discussion questions
Discussion
A town outcasts a boy and his father — but when a giant appears, only they can help.
- Why were the boy and his father banned from the village?
- How did the boy use his ukulele to defeat the giant?
- What does this story teach about judging people who seem different?
- Can you hum or sing the "Abiyoyo" song? What words repeat?
Quick work-a-long
Vocabulary: folktale, outcast, ukulele, giant, community.
Try it: Retell the story of Abiyoyo in 4 sentences: beginning, problem, solution, ending. Then write one sentence about what this story teaches.

