The Parade
A Stampede of Stories About Ananse the Trickster Spider
Published on 23. September 2010
Book
Paperback/Softback
96 pages
978-1-84780-012-1 (ISBN)
Description
Here are seven Ananse stories from Ghana pulsating with mischievous animals, a touch of moral message and, peeping out wickedly above them all, Ananse the trickster spider. The original title story, The Parade, telling why Ananse became a trickster in the first place, is a worthy opener to six traditional stories including the favourites Ananse and the Sky God and Ananse and the Hat of Beans. For centuries, Ananse stories have been used in Ghana and the Caribbean to entertain children and teach them good behaviour - and with their vibrant sense of fun and cunning, these stories are sure to have enduring appeal.
Reviews / Votes
This collection of seven trickster tales is lively and entertaining and will be an essential component of any teacher's story collection. Back to School Bookseller With their vibrant sense of fun and cunning these stories are sure to have an enduring appeal. Booktrust These delightful stories can be dipped into by relatively new independent readers, but also read well if you are sharing the stories with your child. The setting in Ghana adds exotic appeal and poet KP Kojo creates a fresh experience quite different to most children's books. Junior Not only very energetic and entertaining, these tales also encourage children to be well-mannered and polite. Carousel This wonderful collection of stories expands Ananse's myth with sparkling wit and words that roll off the tongue. K.P. Kojo has clearly written this refreshing new book to be read aloud and shared. ABC Best Books for Children The collection of six stories both read well, and sound well when read aloud, with the lively imagery of the text supported by the black and white line drawings. Each tale has a morel to be told - although part of the fun with Ananse is that you never quite know whether you are going to be following his example, or learn from his mistakes! School Librarian All six short stories are simply and assuredly told and, unsurprisingly, are delightfully set and are perfectly complemented by the illustrations of Karen Lilje, all drawn in black and white except for the cover. The moral in all of them is clear and it is interesting to see how even Ananse, despite all his wisdom, can err. The spider is aware of his own shortcomings and in the sixth story he is initially hiding in the forest reflecting upon this. This is a lovely book which is worth considering as an addition to any library supporting children in KS1 and lower KS2. Class teachers looking for multicultural stories for their classes would enjoy this book and so would new independent readers. Armadillo Magazine The ink illustrations will capture the younger children's imaginations, and the stories are short enough to be enjoyed as individual bedtime stories. The stories are very clearly told butwith wonderful descriptive writing, setting the scene for each story and giving a little background information on the characters involved. A delight to read. Ibby Link This book will transport you to Africa as you get caught up in the rich, descriptive text and fast moving narrative. English 4-11More details
Language
English
Place of publication
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Quarto Publishing PLC
Target group
Children/juvenile
Dimensions
Height: 198 mm
Width: 129 mm
ISBN-13
978-1-84780-012-1 (9781847800121)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Persons
Raised in Cape Coast and Accra, in Ghana, K.P. Kojo grew up hearing stories from his parents, his blind grandmother, orange-sellers, teachers and a rag-bag of friends with whom he ran wild. Many years later, in London, he was asked to visit a library and tell stories. Two days later he found himself kneeling in front of twenty six-year-olds retelling an Ananse story. That was in 2001. Since then he has worked in over 100 schools throughout the UK, using moral-based storytelling to show children how to make up their own stories. The Parade is his first children's book. KAREN LILJE studied design and illustration at the University of Pretoria and has illustrated several children's books for publishers in south Africa. She has won awards for both design and illustration including the One Show for design, and has been published in Lurzer's Archive for a designed illustration campaign. The Parade is her first book for Frances Lincoln. She lives in Cape Town.