Zomo The Rabbit: A Trickster Tale From West Africa Author: Gerald McDermott Illustrator: Gerald McDermott
Zomo the Rabbit is about how rabbit “got his wisdom.” Zomo was “not big…not strong..but he was very clever.” Zomo uses his cleverness to do the “three impossible things” the Sky God tells him to do, in order to attain wisdom: “bring me the scales of Big Fish in the sea, bring me the milk to the Wild Cow, and bring me the tooth of Leopard.” Zomo’s cleverness is the means of his success; however, his cleverness also gets him into trouble.
ANANSI does the IMPOSSIBLE! An Ashanti Tale Retold By: Verna Aardema Illustrator: Lisa Desimini
Anansi the spider wants to bring the “tales our storytellers have told for generations,” from the Sky God, back down to earth. Anansi makes this request to the Sky God. Before Anansi can get the tales, he must complete the three impossible tasks for the Sky God. Anansi is to bring the Sky God a live python, a real fairy, and forty-seven stinging hornets. Anansi is successful in completing the three impossible tasks. For Anansi’s completion of the three impossible tasks, he gets the tales. The lesson at the end of the tale reveals that the “tales of West Africa have been called Anansi Tales.” It would be worth pointing out to students or asking students to identify the similarities in the plots of Zomo The Rabbit and ANANSI does the IMPOSSIBLE . Both of the main characters, Zomo and Anansi, have to complete the three impossible tasks successfully in order to get what they want.
A STORY A STORY: An African Tale Retold By: Gail E. Haley Illustrator: Gail E. Haley
A STORY A STORY won the Caldecott Medal in 1970. A highlight of the book is the cultural context of traditional African tales explained. For instance, “spider stories” such as Anansi tell how small defenseless men or animals outwit others and succeed against great odds. The title, A Story A Story is also significant because as explained, Africans repeat words to enhance their meaning. This is the story of Anansi; however, the difference between this story and ANANSI does the IMPOSSIBLE is Anansi in this story is a man, who wants to bring the stories back down to earth from the Sky Gods, not a spider. Anansi succeeds in bringing the Sky God the three creatures he asks for and in return Anansi gets the stories of the world.
Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People’s Ears Author: Verna Aardema Illustrator: Leo Dillon & Diane Dillon Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People’s Ears won the Caldecott Medal in 1976. The story is another “and that is why till this day” folktale. The plot of the story is that an owlet has died, and its mother, the owl, is so sadden by the loss of her baby that she will not “whoo whoo” to wake the sun and begin the day. The mother only wake up the sun when she finds out who killed her baby. It turns out that the mosquito told the iguana a lie, he was disgusted that he put sticks in his ears to drown out the mosquito. This one act, the lie caused a series of events that eventually led to the death of the owlet. At the end, it was discovered that the mosquito caused the chain of events that led to the death of the owlet. Mosquitoes buzz in peoples ears till this day, because she is still complaining about her conviction.
The Clever Monkey: A Folktale from West Africa Author: Rob Cleveland Illustrator: Baird Hoffmire
The Clever Monkey is about two cats who are fighting over a piece of cheese. Both cats offer to split the cheese evenly between each other; however, neither cat trusts the other cat to split the cheese evenly. A monkey comes along to offer to “help” the two cats in their dilemma, by splitting the cheese. The money divvies up the cheese by eating it and claiming, “oh, no they are not even,” and east a little more of each piece. Finally the monkey leaves the cats with the most miniscule pieces of cheese-of course the monkey’s belly is full!
Help students to distinguish the similarities in the endings to many of these stories. Often there is a resolution at the end, something along the lines of, “till this day,” or “that is why.” Even if the story does not end with a moral per sea, ask students to find the moral or the lesson in the tale. Probing question for students: Why might these morals or lessons be important to the African culture?
Anansi The Spider Author: Gerald McDermott Illustrator: Gerald McDermott This is another version of the Anansi tale. McDermott was awarded the Caldecott Honor award in 2002. In this Anansi tale, the reader is introduced to Anansi’s seven sons who have to help their father get out of trouble. Anansi is swallowed by a fish and even taken off by a falcon! We see the weakness of the clever Anansi in McDermott’s tale.
Behind the Back of the Mountain: Black Folktales from Southern Africa Retold By: Verna Aardema Illustrator: Leo Dillon & Diane Dillon
This is a compilation of several folktales, including How Blue Crane Taught Jackal to Fly, Tusi and the Great Beast, and The House in the Middle of the Road. The ethnicity of the tale, such as Zulu is identified at the beginning of each tale. Additionally, at the end of the book, the “sources” of each tale are identified. Fairy Tales Rapunzel Retold By: Rachel Isadora Illustrator: Rachel Isadora This is the classic tale of Rapunzel, the captive girl in the tower, who discovers that her hair leads her out of the loneliness of the tower to the happiness of true love. Although the plot of this tale is just like the English version, you will notice that Rapunzel’s locks are not the flowing blond or amber locks as depicted in the English versions-they are black dread locks. Additionally, the reader will notice at the end of this book, Rapunzel and her saving prince’s fates are different than the English version; however, this story still yields the inevitable happy ending.
Rachel Isadora has written and illustrated several other books with familiar titles, characters and plot lines of American traditional lore, with African characters and cultural depictions.
The Gift of the Crocodile: A Cinderella Story Author: Judy Sierra Illustrator: Reynold Ruffins
This classic Cinderella story with a twist comes from the Spice Islands. Damura is Cinderella in this tale, and just when you think that she has won and the handsome prince has rescued her from her evil step-mother and the evil step-sisters they come back! Damura’s is saved by her “fairy godmother” who in this story is an alligator, from the second try the evil step-mother and step-mother try to take Damura’s life.
Traditional Children’s Literature from Africa
Trickster Tales
Zomo The Rabbit: A Trickster Tale From West Africa
Author: Gerald McDermott Illustrator: Gerald McDermott
ANANSI does the IMPOSSIBLE! An Ashanti Tale
Retold By: Verna Aardema Illustrator: Lisa Desimini
It would be worth pointing out to students or asking students to identify the similarities in the plots of Zomo The Rabbit and ANANSI does the IMPOSSIBLE . Both of the main characters, Zomo and Anansi, have to complete the three impossible tasks successfully in order to get what they want.
A STORY A STORY: An African Tale
Retold By: Gail E. Haley Illustrator: Gail E. Haley
Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People’s Ears
Author: Verna Aardema Illustrator: Leo Dillon & Diane Dillon
Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People’s Ears won the Caldecott Medal in 1976. The story is another “and that is why till this day” folktale. The plot of the story is that an owlet has died, and its mother, the owl, is so sadden by the loss of her baby that she will not “whoo whoo” to wake the sun and begin the day. The mother only wake up the sun when she finds out who killed her baby. It turns out that the mosquito told the iguana a lie, he was disgusted that he put sticks in his ears to drown out the mosquito. This one act, the lie caused a series of events that eventually led to the death of the owlet. At the end, it was discovered that the mosquito caused the chain of events that led to the death of the owlet. Mosquitoes buzz in peoples ears till this day, because she is still complaining about her conviction.
The Clever Monkey: A Folktale from West Africa
Author: Rob Cleveland Illustrator: Baird Hoffmire
however, neither cat trusts the other cat to split the cheese evenly. A monkey comes along to offer to “help” the two cats in their dilemma, by splitting the cheese. The money divvies up the cheese by eating it and claiming, “oh, no they are not even,” and east a little more of each piece. Finally the monkey leaves the cats with the most miniscule pieces of cheese-of course the monkey’s belly is full!
Help students to distinguish the similarities in the endings to many of these stories. Often there is a resolution at the end, something along the lines of, “till this day,” or “that is why.” Even if the story does not end with a moral per sea, ask students to find the moral or the lesson in the tale. Probing question for students: Why might these morals or lessons be important to the African culture?
Anansi The Spider
Author: Gerald McDermott Illustrator: Gerald McDermott
This is another version of the Anansi tale. McDermott was awarded the Caldecott Honor award in 2002. In this Anansi tale, the reader is introduced to Anansi’s seven sons who have to help their father get out of trouble. Anansi is swallowed by a fish and even taken off by a falcon! We see the weakness of the clever Anansi in McDermott’s tale.
Behind the Back of the Mountain: Black Folktales from Southern Africa
Retold By: Verna Aardema Illustrator: Leo Dillon & Diane Dillon
Fairy Tales
Rapunzel
Retold By: Rachel Isadora Illustrator: Rachel Isadora
This is the classic tale of Rapunzel, the captive girl in the tower, who discovers that her hair leads her out of the loneliness of the tower to the happiness of true love. Although the plot of this tale is just like the English version, you will notice that Rapunzel’s locks are not the flowing blond or amber locks as depicted in the English versions-they are black dread locks. Additionally, the reader will notice at the end of this book, Rapunzel and her saving prince’s fates are different than the English version; however, this story still yields the inevitable happy ending.
Rachel Isadora has written and illustrated several other books with familiar titles, characters and plot lines of American traditional lore, with African characters and cultural depictions.
The Gift of the Crocodile: A Cinderella Story
Author: Judy Sierra Illustrator: Reynold Ruffins
This classic Cinderella story with a twist comes from the Spice Islands. Damura is Cinderella in this tale, and just when you think that she has won and the handsome prince has rescued her from her evil step-mother and the evil step-sisters they come back! Damura’s is saved by her “fairy godmother” who in this story is an alligator, from the second try the evil step-mother and step-mother try to take Damura’s life.