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Kids Story Books: Anansi the Spider: A Tale from the Ashanti

In our African Fairy Tales Kids Story Books Reviews, we will be regularly considering the stories of Anansi. In Anansi the spider, Anansi, one of the great folk heroes of the world, is a rogue, wise, loveable creature who triumphs over bigger foes.

Kids Story Books: Anansi the Spider Review

In this post selected Kids Story Book “Anansi the Spider”, Anansi begins a long and difficult journey. He is at times threatened by a fish and at other times by a falcon, and he is saved from terrible fates by his sons. Though Anansi wonders which of his sons he should reward. Finally, calling upon the God of All Things Nyame, Anansi finds a way to solve his predicament in a resourceful and touching way.

Kids Story Books: Anansi the Spider Author

Gerald McDermott, the author of this tale, merges the old with the new, the rich with the bold colors of traditional African design motifs and authentic Ashanti language rhythms. Anansi the Spider received a wide acclaim and it was named a Caldecott Honor Book. The author apart from this tale, has retold and illustrated a lot of other folktales and myths, including “Arrow to the Sun: A Pueblo Indian Tale”, “Musicians of the sun”, and a number of trickster tales from around the world.

Kids Story Books – Anansi the Spider Customers Reviews

Below are some customer reviews taken from Amazon Reviews:
Vibrant, vivid illustration and a wonderful tale
16 of 17 people found the following review helpful.

The Anansi stories have been handed down through generations of Ashanti culture. This book is a wonderful, vibrant and vivid story for children of all ages. Born in Ghana I left at aged 3, leaving much of the Ghanaian culture behind. At aged 30 I can still remember a song about Anansi the spider, the only remnants left of my native tongue. I was given the Anansi book as a child, it captivated me, I read it over and over again, and it provided a connection to my past. At 16, I spent hours crafting a cushion embroidered an illustration from the book that was a childhood favorite. Sadly, the book was lost and I never thought I could get it again. Now, some 14 years since I last saw the book I can still visualize the pictures and hear the wonderful tale of Anansi the spider, his sons and the moon. I have just bought two copies, one for my niece and one for my two year old daughter. I absolutely cannot wait to read them again and again and pass this memorable story to a new generation.

Anansi Makes Me Laugh…
10 of 11 people found the following review helpful.
I am a big fan of the Anansi tales, and the spider’s adventures are delightful as well as thought-provoking. For edutainment (educational entertainment) and discussion, I include them in my high school / college level introduction to mythology / humanities survey courses. All ages can enjoy a clever trickster hero who possesses many human qualities, the good and bad–who makes us think about our own deeds and behavior.

In Anansi The Spider: A Tale from the Ashanti, Gerald McDermott retells an Anansi story with warmth, cultural sensitivity, and bright, attention-seizing illustrations. Among the children’s books about Anansi, McDermott’s efforts stand in a unique place because the text is used sparingly and with great effect, conveying important events only and not burying key ideas in lavish descriptions or dialogues. In this book, the elaborate, geometric illustrations paint the “descriptions” that the text omits.

Features that I like…

The map in the opening that shows the continent of Africa and the country of Ghana. (I’m always happy to see a bit of geography dropped into stories, especially those designed for children.)

The Prologue, which describes the importance of folklore, mythology, and legends. I especially appreciate this statement: “Folklore prepares man for adult life. It places him within his culture.”

Rather than beginning the story with the familiar “Once upon a time…,” the author uses “Time was…” which is cool!

Each of the spider sons in the story is unique in design, appearance, and talent, which makes him easy (and fun) to identify as the tale unfolds. The six sons are See Trouble, Road Builder, River Drinker, Game Skinner, Stone Thrower, and Cushions.

The character of Anansi is rendered with an expressive personality and face while his sons’ faces are not shown–just their designs, bodies, and talents. Anansi’s face changes emotions based on his experiences, and this would be an excellent teaching element for very young children upon hearing / seeing the story.

Themes & Talking Points the book offers:

Counting, colors, shapes, animals, teamwork, family, intro to Africa [Very Young Children]

Reading; Cause & Effect; Critical Thinking & Response; African Culture. How does Anansi get into and out of trouble? // Each spider is an individual with a specific skill or trait; each spider has a place in the family. What does this suggest about the culture of the Ashanti? // The rescue of Anansi is really a team effort by the sons, but who should get the reward? Does the ending solve this problem? [For children 5-12]

Reading & Design; Symbolism; Critical Analysis; Author Intent; Culture. Why did the author / illustrator choose not to show the faces of the six sons in the story? How does this choice affect the story? How does Anansi’s face tell his story? What is the relationship between a son’s name and his unique design? In what instances is Anansi’s face NOT shown and why? What lessons are taught in this tale? What universal themes are present? Does this book deserve its “honor” designation? [For tweens through college students]

We love Anansi!
9 of 10 people found the following review helpful.

My 18 month old son loves the artwork in this book. There is a lot to talk about on each page. For the first time it seems that my son is following the story and not just dealing with one page at a time. He waits eagerly for the page when Anansi is swallowed by a fish (don’t worry it is not violent in any way!) Since there are 6 spider sons there are lots of opportunities for counting. My 18 month old can now count to 6.

For more information about Anansi the Spider, to order this book or for other Kids Story Books, click on the link below:

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