Books with title Traditional Tales from 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

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.

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

Three tales as told to the author by students in Malawi.Adapted and illustrated by Abu Chilembwe.1. The Hunter and the eggs describes what happens when a hunter betrays the trust of his fellow hunters.2. Kalulu and the Lion is a tale that has resurfaced in many forms throughout the world. 3. The farmer and the monkey describes a farmers battle to protect his crops.

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.

This classic collection of animal tales is quintessentially African. The animals are sly and wise, proud and ingenious in the defeat of natural disadvantages and in the face of each other’s competition. This version of the race between the elephant and the tortoise is unique, and fits seamlessly into stories of the hare’s pranks, the baboon’s attempts to drink the hare’s entire supply of milk and the explanations of why cats live with people (a cunning feminist fable!) and chickens scratch in the ground. Such tales can be of enormous value as a teaching tool, marvellous entertainment and cannot avoid having a good-humoured unifying effect on all who share in their humanity.

This anthology of stories and folktales from contemporary African writers captures the rich storytelling tradition of the continent. There's a creation myth from Malawi, a family story from Morocco, and a magical tale from Nigeria, along with stories from Ghana, Angola, Botswana, Egypt, Sierra Leone, and Zimbabwe. The vivid, full-color illustrations by Nigerian artist Ademola Akintola bring each story to life.