The Cow-Tail Switch: And Other West African Stories [Paperback]

Harold Courlander (Author), George Herzog (Author), Madye Lee Chastain (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 15, 1987 | Age Level: 8 and up

The stories of West Africa are about men and animals, about kings, warriors, and hunters. They tell about clever people and stupid people, about good ones and bad ones, about how things and animals got to be how they are. Some stories in this book will make you think. Some will make you laugh. All of them are retold with folk spirit full of generosity and vitality.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"The seventeen stories, mostly gathered in the Ashanti country, are fresh to collections and are told with humor and originality." --The Horn Book

"An unusually fine collection of folk tales told simply, directly, and with beauty." --Library Journal

About the Author

As a young man, Harold Courlander (1908-1996) took a trip to Haiti with the intention of doing research for a novel. He discovered his lifelong passion, anthropology, which led him to further travels and research into Native Americans, Asians, Indians, and numerous African tribes. He preserved the history of these people in his many books of folklore and history.

 

George Herzog (1901–1983) was a musicologist and anthropologist specializing in Native American music. Like Courlander, he was intent on preserving the heritage of people, particularly through their music.

 

Madye Lee Chastain (1908-1989) wrote 17 children’s books and illustrated many more.

--This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 8 and up
  
• Paperback: 160 pages
• Publisher: Owlet Paperbacks; 1st edition (March 15, 1987)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0805002987
• ISBN-13: 978-0805002980
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,081,047 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #74 in Books > Children's Books > Fairy Tales, Folk Tales & Myths > African

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Notable collection of African Folktales, June 12, 2001

By 

Ed Gibbon www.congocookbook.com - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Cow-Tail Switch: And Other West African Stories (Paperback)

Looking for African folktales? Look first to the work of Harold Courlander. He is one of the finest folktale anthropologists of his generation. "The Cow-Tail Switch and Other West African Stories" is one several of his books which are of interest to Africanists. (He also authored several similar books of folktales and traditional literature from other parts of the world.) In 1947 when "The Cow-Tail Switch and Other West African Stories" was first published, there were far fewer books of this kind than there are today. Two things that make Courlander's work stand out, even now, are: 1) his well written prose, and 2) the notes, which give the reader more information about the story, where it came from, and how to understand it in the context of the culture that produced it. This second point is especially important today, when a lot of books of so-called "African" stories are published without any background information at all. This collection of stories, all from Western Africa, is great for kids and adults. (Harold Courlander is also the author of "The African", which bears many similarities to "Roots" by Alex Haley, though Haley's book was published years later.)

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Delightful book, December 30, 2010

By 

softgreenpuppy - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Cow-Tail Switch: And Other West African Stories (Paperback)

This is a must have book. Eight to twelve year olds love it! I had countless requests for this book as a substitute teacher. Students would ask me to read stories from it year after year. I began taking it with me whenever I subbed because it was always requested. They would give up play time at recess just to hear the stories. Not dependent on a child's background.

5.0 out of 5 stars Cow-Tail Switch, November 11, 2011

By 

T. Misbach (Utah, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Cow-Tail Switch: And Other West African Stories (Paperback)

If you've never had any exposure to African folk lore, this is the way to go. This book gives detailed and fun recollection of African stories.

Prior to reading it, I had never taken an interest, nor had any exposure, to African stories. I hardly knew what to expect. What I didn't expect was to love it. But I do. The stories are so creative and very interesting. This book is a very good beginning and I was able to read it pretty quickly. It gives insight to history, anthropology and the culture of Africa.

I really enjoyed the style of writing that this book used. Rather than just simply telling the story, there were so many other elements. It was humorous, witty and fast paced.

I highly recommend the book to all you beginners and those that enjoy the simplicity and moral of folk lore.