Books with title Tales from West Africa

A collection of hugely entertaining stories, drawn from the rich folklore of many countries throughout Africa, and brought sparklingly to life with humour and rhyme by Ghanaian author, Nii Ayikwei Parkes, writing under the name used for his children's work, K. P. Kojo. Find out how selfish Lion gets his comeuppance, go to a Frog wedding in the Sky Kingdom, discover the days when the earth's creatures were all mixed up and much more in tales which reflect the very best and the very worst of human nature. Includes endnotes with a glossary, additional information, and activities that children can do to explore the stories further. 'Needs to be three times as long and sitting on a shelf in every school library' - Mark Haddon

A delightful collection of folk tales from West Africa including 18 Anansi tales, as well as 17 others. Includes the story of how the tales came to be called Anansi tales. In the olden days all the stories which men told were stories of Nyankupon, the chief of the gods. Spider wanted the stories to be about him. Nyankupon agreed, on one condition, namely that he bring him three things: a jar full of live bees, a boa-constrictor, and a tiger. How Anansi contrived to achieve all these tasks is related in the opening story. Suitable for ages 6 and up.

Drawn from all parts of Africa, these stories convey the fierce sense of justice inherent in African peoples, their powers of patience and endurance, and their supreme ability as storytellers. A greedy spider, an evil shark, flying horses, a cruel baboon, a scheming tortoise, and a cunning hare are among the many animal characters in this riveting collection. Yet even though animals feature prominently in most of the stories, humans are not neglected either. Meet blacksmiths, kings, chiefs, peasants, and even an African Superman. There are also answers to such important questions as why the crab has no head, why the sun and moon live in the sky, and why flies buzz. The tales are collected from all across the continent--from Nigeria to Congo to South Africa--and translated from over a dozen languages like Swahili, Bantu, Fulani, Zulu, and Yoruba.

This lively collection comes from West Africa, a place 'where stories grow on trees'. Here are the famous tricksters: Hare, Tortoise, and the greatest of them all - Ananse the spider. The stories are full of larger-than-life characters and situations; and include the tale of how Ananse got his thin waist, how Crocodile learnt his lesson, and how Monkey managed not to get eaten by Shark.

Folktales are timeless and, although they are a product of a particular culture, they have universal relevance because they give insight into the human condition. In Folktales from Africa, award-winning South African author Dianne Stewart has retold stories from the length and breadth of the African continent. Beautifully illustrated by Marjorie van Heerden, this collection of twenty stories is certain to entertain and delight the reader, as well as give insight into the countries from which the tales have been sourced.

TALES FROM AFRICA is a collection of folktales brought to life with humour and poetry by Ghanaian author, K. P. Kojo.Find out how selfish Lion gets his comeuppance, go to a Frog wedding in the Sky Kingdom, discover the days when the earth's creatures were all mixed up and much more in these brilliantly crafted tales which reflect the very best - and the very worst - of human behaviours.Rich in the folklore of the many different countries of Africa, Ghanaian author, K. P. Kojo brings each story to life with humour and poetry, making them perfect for sharing and reading aloud to children of all ages.Includes endnotes with a glossary, additional information as well as ideas for activities that children can do to explore the stories further.'Needs to be three times as long and sitting on a shelf in every school library' - Mark Haddon

Charming tales featuring animals of the African bush in social situations. Hare, elephant, rhino, baboon and others find ways to overcome problems, outsmart each other and explain facts, habits and events. These are authentic tales remembered from the author's childhood among the Shona people (in present day Zimbabwe). They are lovingly rendered and quaintly illustrated on commission. The author (now deceased) was a seasoned writer of children's programmes for radio.