Customer Reviews

Coomacka Island: Anansi Jr. and the Mango Truck

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Coomacka Island Anansi Jr And The Mango Truck
by Don P. Hooper
Illustrated by Darnel Degand

[...]
Great website for both you and your children to enjoy.

Coomacka Island, Anansi Jr. & the Mango Truck by Don P. Hooper is a Caribbean tale that involves Anansi Jr., a spider who loves mangoes and is a tale of learning a lesson in true friendship.

This is a enchanting, delightful, and stimulating read for young readers, it has bright colors, wonderful graphics & illustrations (Illustrated by Darnel Degand)which are so vivid they will have your children using their imaginations and asking questions.

I look forward to all the adventures to continue, and will honestly being collecting each one for my grandson Caden to enjoy. This is a wonderful book for all young readers and is highly recommended as a must for the children in your life.

A Definite 5 Star children's book!

Hooper has penned a lively children's tale about friendship. Anansi Jr. "AJ" is a spider proud of his garden. AJ works hard to maintain his household and day dreams about the sweetness of mangoes. AJ decides to walk to the market and buy all the mangoes he can carry. Upon his return, some friends ask him to share his mangoes. Will he share the best mangoes around or will he lose them all because of his selfishness? What lessons will AJ learn?

ANANSI JR. AND THE MANGO TRUCK is an enchanting read with a Caribbean flavor. The illustrations are colorful and vivid which allow young readers to ignite their imagination and ask questions about friendship. My six year old absolutely loved this book as well as the accompanying website. This book will be a treasure for this generation and the next.

Reviewed By - Deltareviewer
For Real Page Turners

Anansi Jr and the Mango Truck is the second installment in the Coomacka Island series. Based in part, on Afro-Caribbean folklore, Anansi was the great trickster and somewhat of cult hero to islanders. For hundreds of years, folk tales about the Macka Tree and the spirits dwelling within roots have been passed down through the generations. As with many cherished stories, the fictional fires erupted from a spark of truth.

The story begins with AJ tending his garden, filled with beautiful plants, including his award winning Monkey Tail Shrub. There was only one thing that he loved more than gardening and that was eating. However, he was a very greedy spider and had never experienced the joy of sharing. Nevertheless, on this day, he would learn a valuable lesson about the spirit of giving and friendship.

Once again, Hooper and Degand have delivered a fictional tale, filled with life lesson of immense importance. From the first colorful page, the reader is transported to the heart of the Caribbean. The emotion-filled drawings bring the words, as well as, the island itself to life. Introducing names with various origins, such as Swahili or Haitian, offers children an opportunity to expand their vocabulary, while embracing cultural diversity. Although Coomacka Island is an uncharted, fictional Island, the morals and values found here have universal appeal.

Featuring an entertaining forward and fun facts at the conclusion, Hooper and Degand have created a multi-layered, multi-cultural series that will be cherished by children, parents and teachers the world over. And with the addition of the interactive website, exploring Coomacka Island is only a click away. [...]

Happy Reading!

I've read many bedtime stories to my 2 kids and few are as fun and as stimulating as this. The colors and the graphics are terrific and make me wish I were basking in the Caribbean sun.

Anansi Jr. (AJ) Spider is an avid gardener. He gladly spends hours tending to his rows of Scorpion Orchids, Crab & Lobster Claws, and Monkey Tail Shrub. In fact, he spends so much time in the garden one day that he forgets to eat, so his huge appetite sends him into town in search of the delicious Julie Mangos.

When he arrives at the mango truck in the middle of Macka Street Market, AJ quickly clears it out, greedily buying all the mangoes and making his way home to feast. Before he leaves, though, Amani Ant and his little sister Karima arrive, wanting a mango of their own. Much to his dismay, Amani finds that all the mangoes are gone, and he desperately wants one for Karima, who has never tasted one before. He asks AJ to spare one of his, but AJ refuses, instead mocking and laughing at the ants as he rushes off.

In his haste, though, AJ ultimately loses his prized mangoes, and what follows is a very valuable lesson in selflessness and sharing.

The story of Anansi and the Mango Truck is a heart-warming tale of the virtues of putting others before ourselves. Through his characters, Hooper teaches lessons that we all will be well served to apply in our everyday lives, whether it involves giving up our bus seats to elderly passengers or letting someone have a parking space that we found first. What's important to understand is that we only stand to gain by giving freely of ourselves in any and every way possible.

With incredible illustrations accompanying his text, Hooper's story is an absolute treat for the eyes. A must-read for book lovers of all ages.

After spending several hours tending his garden, Anansi Jr. (AJ) works up a tremendous appetite. He decides that the perfect way to ease his hunger is to head into town, go to the Mango Camion, and purchase some sweet, juicy Julie Mangos. AJ being AJ, he purchases as many mangos as he can carry, which is a lot since he is a spider and has four hands. While in town, Amani Ant decides he wants to treat his younger sister to a Julie Mango only to discover that the camion has run out. When he runs into AJ who has a huge supply of the fruit, he asks if he can purchase on of them for his sister. AJ refuses. As AJ travels home, he is so focused on keeping all the mangos for himself, that he ends up losing them all. It is then that Jamila Lizardly teaches AJ an important lesson about sharing, but it is up to AJ to apply this new wisdom to his life.

Don Hooper continues to display his ability to craft a story that reflects the oral tradition in COOMACKA ISLAND ANANSI JR. AND THE MANGO TRUCK. As is the case in most fables and folk tales, the story has an obvious, yet unspoken message, in this case focusing on the value of sharing. The vibrant illustrations are engaging and will quickly capture the attention of even very young readers, drawing them into the story in the process. The book also includes a section at the end that covers fun facts and a glossary, this helps readers with definitions of the more difficult vocabulary words, and also brief descriptions of some of the people, places, and things readers unfamiliar with the Caribbean may not have previously been exposed to. All in all, COOMACKA ISLAND ANANSI JR. AND THE MANGO TRUCK is a fun, richly told story with a universal message.

Reviewed by Stacey Seay
of The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers