Favorite African Folktales [Paperback]

Nelson Mandela (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 2004

"It is my wish that the voice of the storyteller never die in Africa."—Nelson Mandela, from the foreword

The vibrant tradition of African folktales—an oral heritage that predates Ovid and Aesop—is long and varied, but to date it has been largely overlooked in the West. Aware of this gap, Nelson Mandela selected thirty-two stories, many of them translated from their original tongues, to show the seminal role of African folklore in world literature. We meet tricksters from Zulu folklore; we hear the voices of the scheming hyena and learn from a Khoi fable how animals acquired their tails and horns. These fables present a veritable bible of stories "universal in their portrayal of humanity, beasts and the mystical." Winner of the NAACP Image Award.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Nelson Mandela, now eighty-six years old, lives in Johannesburg and was South Africa's first democratically elected president.

Product Details

• Paperback: 240 pages
• Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company (November 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0393326241
• ISBN-13: 978-0393326246
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 4.9 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #207,229 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #57 in Books > Literature & Fiction > World Literature > African

More About the Author

Nelson Mandela was born in Transkei, South Africa, on July 18, 1918. He joined the African National Congress in 1944 and was engaged in resistance against the ruling National Party's apartheid policies after 1948. He was incarcerated at Robben Island prison from 1964 to 1982 and then moved to Pollsmoor Prison, during which time his reputation as a potent symbol of resistance to apartheid grew steadily. Released from prison in 1990, Mandela received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1993 and was inaugurated as the first democratically elected president of South Africa in 1994. He is the author of the international bestseller LONG WALK TO FREEDOM.



Author photograph by Andrew Zuckerman © Nelson Mandela Foundation

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great stories for your grandchildren and students, January 17, 2009

By 

Ralph Shattuck (Eugene, OR & Surprise AZ) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Favorite African Folktales (Paperback)

These stories are folk tales edited by Nelson Mendela who compiled these for his grandchildren. I used this book for plays and readings when teaching in Namibia. The tenth thru twelveth gradel class loved these stories and it helped them to enjoy Animal Farm. Fellow Fulbrighters' children also expressed an interest, so I provided them with chapters from the book. I also e-mailed them to my grandchildren in Scottsdale Arizona and they loved them. The talking animals often lead us to a morality play conclusion that is not specific to any culture. Further, each story, while written for children up to the age of 10, uses words unique to southern african cultures. A few of the these unique words are not easily found in a dictionary, but one can guess the nature of the meaning of the mysterious word from the context of the story. It is a wonderful window into village life in Africa and provides an important and different world view and explanation of how things came to be the way they are. It is also a fun book to read to younger children who are not yet reading on their own.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Magnificent Collection of Tales, December 31, 2009

By 

Shakespearemom (Bainbridge, GA USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Favorite African Folktales (Paperback)

If you are at all considering getting a collection of folk tales, get this one. I liked it so much I'm using it in a college research writing course I'm teaching. Very readable, fascinating tales of all kinds. Honestly, the only story that didn't impress me was the final one, and other than that one tale, I'm sure there is plenty to satisfy anybody. The stories reveal quite a bit about the African cultures they derive from, but they also compare well to other mythic stories, fables, and traditions, and are thus a great addition to an overall exploration of world folk myth.

The stories are great for children, too, and I found myself reading a few of the stories to my kids at bedtime. They were sad when the book was finished, for they, too, really enjoyed the tales.