A Pride of African Tales

by Donna L. Washington

Book Overview

This treasure trove of lavishly illustrated stories comes from different regions in Africa. In "Anansi," an uproarious story from Ghana, the tables are turned on lazy Anansi. "The Boy Who Wanted the Moon," set in the Congo, explains why there are monkeys in the world. "Shansa Mutongo Shima," a thrilling story of the Tabura people from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, reveals the dangers of judging by appearances. In "The Roof of Leaves," from...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0060249293
• ISBN13: 9780060249298
• Release Date: December 2003
• Publisher: Amistad Books for Young Readers
• Length: 80 Pages
• Weight: 1.35 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 8.5" x 11.0"
• Age Range: 6 to 10 years
• Grade Range: Grades 1 to 5

Customer Reviews

Good stories

Since I work in a school with predominately African American students, I am always interested in helping the kids learn good values and think about things in healthy ways with Africn inspired ideas. The book has lovely illustrations and the points made are clear and enjoyable. I hope to be able to tell the stories myself one day VS reading them.

Fun Stories with Great Messages

A PRIDE OF AFRICAN TALES is a collection of folktales which have their roots in several West African nations including Ghana, Cameroon, and Nigeria. Each story is preceded by a brief introduction which gives readers a little background on the history and origin of the particular tale. Although I enjoyed all of the stories in the collection, my two favorites were "Shansa Mutoungo Shima" and "The Roof of Leaves." "Shansa Mutoungo Shima" tells the story of Bwalya, a young woman who learns an important lesson about judging people by the way they look. In "The Roof of Leaves" a married couple has an argument followed by a misunderstanding, and both of them must learn an important lesson about swallowing their pride and more importantly about forgiveness. In the introduction, author Donna L. Washington states that the stories which make up this collection are meant to be told not read, and she encourages readers to bring the stories to life. This book is a "must have" for any child's library, as it is the type of book that can be read over and over again. The book is well organized and the stories are diverse and will appeal to both boys and girls. Washington has compiled a wonderful collection which pairs West African Folktales with a splash of history. Additional resources are provided at the end of the book for readers wanting to learn more about the origins of a particular story and for further reading. James Ransome's eye-catching illustrations add yet another dimension to this collection, and I was impressed by the way the illustrations for each story were consistent with the setting in which it took place. Reviewed by Stacey Seay of The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers

EXCELLENT BOOK

I don't mean to take anything away from the compiler of thesetales (Donna Washington) because they are a fine group and she does a wonderful job of retelling them. But I am a collectorof children's books and I collect with the quality of llustrations in mind. So my review is mostly about the illustrations. James Ransome has had the happy fortune to often be associated with books of really high quality, and I would have to say that of all those that I am familiar with, this is probably his best. It is a great coming together of story, illustration, & printing that makes collecting children's books fun and satisfying. The illustrations are vivid, lush, and provide a real sense ofplace. Ransome captures the villages, the market place, theforests & grasslands of Africa that I have found equalled only by illustrator Trina Schart Hyman. A wonderful bonus to the book is the map in the front and the "Story Notes and Further Reading" in the back. A perfectbook for a school library.