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Full of clever, magic, and foolish creatures, this lavish new collection brings together 14 previously published African folktales by Ashley Bryan. Each story is told in a rich, lyrical voice.Three-color and b&w illustrations.
List of contents
Ananse, the spider in search of a fool -- Frog and his two wives -- Elephant and Frog go courting -- Tortoise, Hare, and the sweet potatoes -- The ox of the wonderful horns -- Hen and Frog -- Why Bush Cow and Elephant are bad friends -- The husband who counted the spoonfuls -- Why Frog and Snake never play together -- How animals got their tails -- Lion and the ostrich chicks -- The son of the wind -- Jackal's favorite game -- The foolish boy.
About the author
Ashley Bryan (1923–2022) grew up to the sound of his mother singing from morning to night, and he shared the joy of song with children. A beloved illustrator, he was named a Newbery Honoree for his picture book,
Freedom Over Me. He also received the Coretta Scott King—Virginia Hamilton Lifetime Achievement Award, the Laura Ingalls Wilder Award, was a May Hill Arbuthnot lecturer, a Coretta Scott King Award winner, and the recipient of countless other awards and recognitions. His books include
Freedom Over Me;
Sail Away;
Beautiful Blackbird;
Beat the Story-Drum, Pum Pum;
Let It Shine;
Ashley Bryan’s Book of Puppets; and
What a Wonderful World. He lived in Islesford, one of the Cranberry Isles off the coast of Maine.
Summary
Come gather round, young and old, and hear these stories from Africa, retold and illustrated by the incomparable Ashley Bryan. The fourteen stories in this collection are some of his favorites, previously published in The Ox of the Wonderful Horns; Beat the Story-Drum, Pum-Pum (Coretta Scott King Award for Illustration); and Lion and the Ostrich Chicks (Coretta Scott King Honor Book).
Retold with rich, musical narration, and illustrated with Mr. Bryan's distinctive paintings, these tales are full of fun and magic and a few lessons to be learned. They are tales of tricksters, chieftains, and both wise and foolish creatures. You will learn why Frog and Snake never play together, or why Bush Cow and Elephant are bad friends, or of the problems that a husband has because he likes to count spoonfuls. Although the stories come from many parts of Africa, they are full of the universal human spirit, to be shared and treasured for every generation, uh-huh.
