A cumulative rhyme relating how Ki-pat brought rain to the drought-stricken Kapiti Plain.Verna Aardema has brought the original story closer to the English nursery rhyme by putting in a cumulative refrain and giving the tale the rhythm of "The House That Jack Built."
Verna Aardema was born in New Era, Michigan, in 1911. A cedar swamp in the back of her house served as her inspiration and retreat as a young aspiring writer. She was inspired to write for children when she had to make up stories to get her baby daughter to eat. She wrote many African folktales because of her fascination with the infinitely diverse continent.
