A Story A Story: An African Tale

by Gail E. Haley

Book Overview

Discover how an African trickster god made it possible for people to tell stories in this brightly illustrated, Caldecott Medal-winning picture book.

Long, long ago there were no stories on earth for children to hear. All stories belonged to Nyame, the Sky God. Ananse, the Spider man, wanted to buy some of these stories, so he spun a web up to the sky to bargain with the Sky God. The price the Sky God asked was Osebo, the leopard-of-the-terrible-teeth,...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0689712014
• ISBN13: 9780689712012
• Release Date: February 1988
• Publisher: Aladdin Paperbacks
• Length: 36 Pages
• Weight: 0.30 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.2" x 9.7" x 9.8"
• Age Range: 4 to 8 years
• Grade Range: Preschool to Grade 3

Customer Reviews

In the Beginning

A long time ago before there were books to read, there were stories to hear. And before there were stories to hear, there was nothing to tell at all. Then it was that something unusual happened to break that long, dead silence. [Picture book suitable for the primary through intermediate grades.]

Ananse tales are must haves

I think that I enjoy this story more than my children. Great for children at least age 4 and up. Too lengthy for a toddler. But this a great story for family time especially if you can memorize it and tell it to the children...

A wonderful introduction to fables

My daughter was not particularly interested in hearing a story the first time we opened this book, but within a few pages, the magic of the story, and the wonderful cadence of the words, captured her attention. She was spell bound to the end. The story was an opportunity to talk to her about another culture, teach her about the concepts of fables and oral traditions, and to just plainly entertain her.

An African tale of Anase's quest to get the world's stories.

A Story A Story contains perhaps the most beautiful art in any children's book ever. But it's more than vibrant colorful pictures. This African folk tale captures the imagination of children of all ages. Anase the spider man uses his brains and wits to complete difficult tasks in order to release all of the world's stories, held by a powerful god. The story is timeless is exciting.

Fantastic, subtle, timeless are just some adjectives

This book has been a lifelong inspiration to me as a writer and as a language theorist! There is a subtle complexity in the story which is not immedately obvious. If you think about language or how humans tell stories , you should read this book, If you like stories, you should read this book