Anansi the Spider: A Tale from the Ashanti (Paperback)

~ (Author, Illustrator) "Anansi. He is "spider" to the Ashanti people..." (more)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Anansi the Spider is a wise, funny, mischievous, and loveable folk hero who pops up in traditional Ashanti tales from Ghana, in West Africa. This story, retold and illustrated by Gerald McDermott, relates the tale of father Anansi and his six spider sons. When Anansi sets out on a dangerous journey and gets into all sorts of trouble, each son does one thing to help, and all their efforts together save their father. He finds a mysterious, beautiful globe of light in the forest, and decides to make it a gift of thanks. But which son should receive the prize? Even with the help of Nyame, the God of All Things, he can't decide, so Nyame takes the great globe up into the sky, and that's where it has stayed ever since--the moon, for all to see. This profound story reaches children of many ages; younger ones see it as an exciting rescue story, but older children are intrigued by the larger themes of cooperation and "the whole being more than its parts."

Anansi the Spider, McDermott's first book, received immediate acclaim and was named a Caldecott Honor Book. McDermott has retold and illustrated many other folktales and myths during his long career, including Arrow to the Sun: A Pueblo Indian Tale, which received the Caldecott Medal, Musicians of the Sun, and a series of trickster folktales from around the world. He has a rare combination of skills, being both a gifted writer and a talented artist. His distinctive graphic style using bold shapes and brilliant colors is always striking, but is especially well suited to the story of Anansi, with traditional African motifs skillfully integrated throughout the art. This is a story that can be read over and over again! (Ages 4 to 9) --Marcie Bovetz --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Publishers Weekly

A clever folk hero proves himself resourceful in this bold and poetic tale. Ages 5-8.
Copyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4-8
  
• Paperback: 48 pages
• Publisher: Henry Holt and Company; 1 edition (March 15, 1987)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0805003118
• ISBN-13: 978-0805003116
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 7.3 x 0.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #75,224 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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  #6 in	Books > Children's Books > Authors & Illustrators, A-Z > ( M ) > McDermott, Gerald
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  #9 in	Books > Children's Books > Literature > Fairy Tales, Folk Tales & Myths > African

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Vibrant, vivid illustration and a wonderful tale, January 13, 2001

By	sethyed "sethyed" - See all my reviews

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.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars We love Anansi!, April 22, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Anansi the Spider: A Tale from the Ashanti (Hardcover)

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.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Popular Book in Our Home - a review of "Anansi the Spider", January 26, 2006

By	Pam Tee "Harmless" - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

Anansi and his sons are popular guys in our home. My son and daughter (nearly 4 and 6) just adore them, and I enjoy the fact that this book demonstrates how well cooperation works. Not to mention that we get to discuss the story, Ghana, and how people are both like us *and* are different from us.

In this story Anansi heads out for a walk only to be besieged by problems, first from a hungry fish, and then from a falcon. He would have been lunch were it not for his caring sons who fortunately have super-arachnid abilities.

Four Stars. Good Read-aloud. Good story with a moral. My daughter even decided to practice reading this fun and exciting story.