African and African-American Folk Tales Ananse and the Lizard: A West African Tale   Pat Cummings    In this folk tale from Ghana, Ananse the Spider trickster is out-tricked. When the chief of a village announces that whoever guesses his daughter's name will wed her, Ananse discovers it and prepares to take her as his bride. But Lizard tricks him and gets the girl for himself. The furious Ananse has been angry at lizards ever since, which explains why lizards always seem nervous as they dart about. The intensely colored watercolor, gouache and colored pencil-created illustrations are richly detailed, crowded with the vegetation, costumes, and craft objects that give a feeling of lush Africa. The text is decoratively framed. The anthropomorphic creatures, particularly Ananse, are vivid characters. Their size variation as they mix with humans must be accepted. 2002, Henry Holt and Company, Ages 4 to 8, $16.95. Reviewer: Ken Marantz and Sylvia Marantz ISBN: 0-8050-6476-1 Anansi Does the Impossible Retold by Verna Aardema Illustrations by Lisa Desimini   Anansi, a cunning little spider, is upset that the tales told by storytellers for generations now belong to the Sky God. He is determined to get the stories back. Anansi shares his dilemma with his wife, Aso, who works with him to regain possesion of the tales. Anansi makes a deal with the Sky God. In order to buy back the folk tales, he must bring the Sky God a live python, a real fairy, and forty-seven stinging hornets. Although it sounds impossible, Anansi and Aso join forces to meet the Sky God's requirements. They regain possession of the tales and celebrate by gathering the village people inside a circle of fires for storytelling. They also share with the villages their exploits. The bright, colorful illustrations reflect the story's African roots. 1997 (orig. 1960), Coward McCann, Ages 3 to 8, $16.00. Reviewer: Tamara Hundley ISBN: 0-689-83933-2 Chinye: A West African Folk Tale Obi Onyefulu Illustrated by Evie Safarewicz   This is a Nigerian folk tale that pits the goodness of Chinye against the greed of her stepmother and stepsister. When she is sent into the forest at night to fetch water, she is terrified of the predators, but they recognize her plight and render assistance. Suddenly an old woman appears and tells her to visit a nearby hut and to take only the most modest of the gourds. Chinye does as she is told and when the gourd is smashed open, riches pour forth. Her lazy stepsister is urged by her mother to visit the same hut, but ignoring the old woman's advice, she and her mother lose everything. The vibrant watercolor art fills each two-page spread and conveys the mood and motion. 1994, Viking, Ages 5 up, $14.99 and $5.99. Reviewer: Marilyn Courtot First He Made The Sun Harriet Ziefert Illustrated by Todd McKie. The child-like drawings and gentle, rhyming text blend harmoniously in this serene picture book. Based on Genesis and the words of a traditional African American folk song, the text will speak to children in a meaningful way. Readers get a sense of the vastness of creation and the wonderful God who made it come together in seven days. This beautifully wrought book is perfect for families to read together. The text, which is easy to sing, is a good way to begin nighttime or morning prayers. 2000, Putnam Publishing Group Juvenile, $15.99. Ages 2 to 6. Reviewer: Jeanne K. Pettenati ISBN: 0-399-23199-4 Best Books: Children's Catalog, Eighteenth Edition, 2001; H.W. Wilson; United States Fly, Eagle, fly!: An African Fable Retold by Christopher Gregorowski Pictures by Niki Daly    The child herders of an African village fail to bring a farmer's calf back at the end of one day. After a storm rocks the village all night long, the farmer sets out to search for his cow. Instead, he finds an eagle that has fallen from its nest. He decides to bring it with him to the village and train it to be a chicken. As the eagle grows, it does in fact adopt the manners of its fellow domesticated birds. It is a thing of ridicule among the village children, who believe it is just an odd-looking chicken. Then, one day, a visiting friend of the farmer's notices that the "chicken" is actually an eagle. To the farmer's amusement, the friend attempts to return the eagle to its native sky. The eagle, though, sees his companion chickens and refuses to leave the life he has known. Finally, the friend develops a plan. If only the noble bird could see the sun rising, he thinks, it could not help but follow it up and into the sky. Gregorowski's text is an appealing version of a familiar African tale, originally recounted for his terminally ill daughter. Niki Daly's splendid, full-color illustrations are not to be missed. 2000, Margaret K McElderry, $16.00. Ages 4 to 8. Reviewer: Heidi Green ISBN: 0689823983 Best Books: The Best Children's Books of the Year, 2001 ; Bank Street College of Education; United States Children's Catalog, Eighteenth Edition, 2001 ; H.W. Wilson; United States Awards, Honors, Prizes: Society of School Librarians International Book Awards Honor 2000 Language Arts - Picture Books United States State and Provincial Reading Lists: South Carolina Book Awards, 2003 ; South Carolina The Flying Tortoise: An Igbo Tale Retold by Tololwa M. Mollel Illustrated by Barbara Spurll   Mbeku the tortoise is a trickster who appears in many stories from the igbo people of Nigeria. In this tale, he crashes a feast intended for the birds and eats all the food. He gets his comeuppance, but chuckles at the end. The illustrations are lavish, endowing Mbeku with just the right air of insolence and accurately depicting the other African creatures that share his world. 1994, Oxford/Houghton, Ages 4 to 9, $1.495. Reviewer: Dr. Judy Rowen Freedom's Fruit William H. Hooks Illustrated by James Ransome   Mama Marina, an African-American trickster of sorts, buys freedom for her daughter and future son-in-law for only twenty gold pieces. They are so sick from eating her conjured grapes that Master Alston believes that the young slaves will die, so he makes what he thinks is a good bargain. Mama Marina brings Sheba and Joe Nathan out of the valley of death with thee blossom of the spring grapes. At the close of her tales, Mama Marina celebrates her victory and assures the reader that only when her children are free will she take the spell off of the grapes. This well-written text combined with the finest of Ransome's artwork make a wonderfully compelling picture book. 1996, Knopf, Ages 5 up, $16.00 and $17.99. Reviewer: Michelle H. Martin Head, Body, Legs: A Story From Liberia   Retold by Won-Ldy Paye and Margaret H. Lippert Illustrated by Julie Paschkis    The premise of this traditional Dan creation tale is absurd enough to offer chuckles. Head starts out alone, able only to roll. Two Arms appear. They can't see, but Head has eyes, and asks Arms to join him and pick up things to eat. The arrival of Body and Legs, attaching themselves wherever, add both abilities and complications, until they all fit properly together to make it "perfect." The imaginative tale finds a visual counterpart in Paschkis's almost geometric permutations. Body parts are undetailed, solid black set against roughly brushed backgrounds of varying colors. The text is set in small scratches of contrasting hues. The search for the right combination is lively and humorous, emphasizing the necessity of cooperation. 2002, Henry Holt, $16.95. Ages 3 to 7. Reviewers: Ken Marantz and Sylvia Marantz ISBN: 0-805-06570-9 The Headless Haunt and Other African American Ghost Stories Collected and Retold by James Haskins Pictures by Ben Otero   Twenty plus spine-tingling ghost tales based on African-American folklore have been gathered by this noted author. He tells the readers how to protect themselves from spirits, or for the really brave, how to conjure them. Haskins provides source notes and historical background. 1994, HarperCollins, Ages 8 to 12, $14.00, $13.89, and $3.95. Reviewer: Marilyn Courtot The Heart of a Friendship: An East African Folk tale Retold by H.J. Arrington Illustrated by JoAnn E. Kitchel   When Taki, a friendly monkey, shares the fruit of his mango tree with Baku, the crocodile, he comes to trust the dangerous animal. Fortunately, Taki is clever enough to outwit Baku when he tries to betray him and wise enough to share a thought-provoking moral with young readers. The large colorful illustrations help bring out the humor of this tale. 1997, Pelican, Ages 4 to 9, $14.95. Reviewer: Gisela Jernigan Her Stories: African American Folk Tales, Fairy Tales and True Tales Virginia Hamilton Illustrated by Leo and Diane Dillon   This is a stunning collection made even more spectacular with he poignant illustrations by Leo and Diane Dillon. Hamilton takes children through animal and supernatural tales, biography and legend with a range of telling that is as diverse and powerful as the stories told. 1995, Scholastic, Ages 10 up, $19.95. Reviewer: Susie Wilde The Hired Hand Robert D. San Souci Pictures by Jerry Pinkney   Magic fills this tale of an African-American stranger who comes to a town of free blacks and seeks a position in the local sawmill. The owner is a good man, but his son is lazy and mean. He treats the New Hand badly and spies on him when he rejuvenates an old farmer. When the son tries to do the same for another couple and fails, it is up to the New Hand to rescue him. The mill owner's son learns his lessons about how to treat people and how to be a better son. The pencil and watercolor illustrations are beautiful. They accurately show the people, period clothing, and mysterious settings. While an original tale, it has the feel and look of a folk tale. 1997, Dial, Ages 6 up, $15.99. Reviewer: Marilyn Courtot ISBN: 0-8037-1296-0 ISBN: 0-8037-1297-9 The Hired Hand Robert D. San Souci Pictures by Jerry Pinkney    The watercolors are wonderful and the story in this folktale with a Southern flavor is intriguing. According to the author, it is an adaptation of a similar tale from Greek and Roman origins. Its central character is a transient black man who comes to a small town in Virginia following the Civil War and finds work at a blacksmith shop. The blacksmith's son, who also helps out his father, is jealous of the hired man and treats him rudely. Once, while the blacksmith is away, his son accidentally witnesses the hired man performing black magic. The hired man's turns an old man into a young man. The son orders the hired man to leave the shop and proceeds to brag to others that he can perform such feats. When his sorcery backfires, he is brought before a judge who passes harsh judgement on him. At the last minute, the son is saved by the hired man who "fixes" the son's faux pas. The hired man disappears, and the son becomes an upstanding citizen. Set is a predominantly black town in which all characters, even the judge, are black, the story does not explain the unlikelihood of this occurrence in the time period although the author does refer to it in an addendum, and alludes that it may have been like Waterford, Va. Waterford was settled by Quakers and may have permitted blacks of the time equal rights. The book does not refer to the hired man's feats as black magic, which they most assuredly are. This fact may not appeal to parent's of young readers. 1997, Dial Books for Young Readers, $15.99. Ages 6 to 8. Reviewer: Meredith Kiger ISBN: 0-8037-1296-0 ISBN: 0-8037-1297-9 Best Books: Children's Catalog, Eighteenth Edition, 2001; H.W. Wilson; United States Notable Children's Trade Books in the Field of the Social Studies, 1997; National Council for the Social Studies; United States Notable Social Studies Trade Books for Young People, 1998; National Council for the Social Studies; United States Publishers Weekly Book Review Stars, April 1997; Cahners; United States Recent and Relevant Children's Books, 1997; American Visions; United States Awards, Honors, Prizes: Aesop Prize Winner 1997 United States Commonwealth Club of California Book Awards Winner 1997 Juvenile (10 & under) United States New York Times Best Illustrated Children's Books of the Year Winner 1997 United States State Reading Lists: Georgia Children's Literature Awards, 1999; Georgia Texas Bluebonnet Award, 1998-1999; Texas The Hunter and the Ebony Tree Nelda LaTeef    According to this West African tale, a father thinks carefully and wisely about how best to find a good match for his daughter. He sets up a contest that will assure that the man who weds his beautiful daughter will be strong enough to protect her. His daughter realizes that the man who can win the contest of piercing the bark of an ebony tree with an arrow shot from a bow will also be a special man. The story is one that has traditionally been told by word of mouth amongst the Zarma people, who live in the Republic of Niger. The author recorded the story as it was told by a storyteller in Zarma. She then had it translated into French and from French to English.Each page is filled with the lush colors of nature that are characteristic of West Africa. In a primitive art style, the characters appear as cut outs against the tropical green foliage and earthy browns. In each picture, the daughter and her suitors are portrayed in photographed pieces of the patterned native cloth. This interesting design approach helps create a mood for the elegantly told story, and it brings a sense of the culture and lifestyle that link the past to the present. 2002, Moon Mountain Publishing, $15.95. Ages 5 to 9. Reviewer: Susan Schott Karr ISBN: 0967792991 The Hunterman and the Crocodile Baba Wague Diakite   In this West African folk tale of Bamba the crocodile and Donso the Hunterman, coexistence among species is the theme. The story is engaging, and the point of interdependence squarely made. The illustrations are very arresting, with stark black images against backgrounds of washed rust and ochre. Diakite works with clay, and the pictures are painted on ceramic tiles. It is a satisfying first book. Coretta Scott King Honor Award. 1997, Scholastic, Ages 7 to 10, $15.95. Reviewer: Uma Krishnaswami Imani's Music   Sheron Williams Illustrated by Jude Daly Opening as a story told in a grandfather's dialect, Imani's Music becomes a pourquoi tale describing how music came to the New World on a slave ship from Africa. Imani, a grasshopper, learned the songs of the ancestors on the Serengeti Plain, shared the gift of music with the people and traveled with them across the ocean. Williams' lyrical writing reminds us of the best of what music has meant for many African Americans. "In this new land you must live, love, work, and comfort one another, bound together by new songs," advises Imani. Learning that Imani marries a grasshopper named Hope and takes the name of Faith, the reader recognizes the positive message Williams intends to convey. The gentle, poetic framing of the text is only partially matched by Jude Daly's illustrations, however. The clear, bright, folk-art technique appropriately evokes an eighteenth-century era, but recurrent images of whips, chains and the dark ship's hold are graphic statements about the horrors of the middle passage. Parents and teachers will need to consider carefully whether their young readers are ready for this particular combination of history, art and story. 2002, Atheneum, $17.00. Ages 8 up. Reviewer: Anne Field ISBN: 0-689-82254-5 In the Rainfield: Who Is the Greatest? Isaac O. Olaleye Illustrated by Ann Grifalconi    Wind, rain, fire--which is the greatest? It's the perfect question for a legend and this one comes from Isaac Olaleye's native Nigeria. As short and simple as the story is, there is time for a competition, a winner and a moral. After wind and fire unleash their fury, the legend concludes that "rain is the greatest! The gentlest is the greatest!" The greatest of all, though, is truly the exquisite artistry of illustrator Ann Grifalconi. Marbled backgrounds swirl around each page in fiery reds or watery blues. Photographs of people are pasted on top, fleeing the fire or perched in trees where the shrill wind left them. Finally, purple rain drips steadily over everything, causing wind to follow her everywhere and fire to hiss "Rain is the greatest. And Fire still makes a hissing noise whenever water is poured upon it." The imagination in both the story and the mixed-media pictures could inspire both youngsters who don't like to draw or those who just want to create their own stories to explain natural phenomena. 2000, Blue Sky Press/Scholastic, $16.95. Ages 4 to 8. Reviewer: Karen Leggett ISBN: 0590483633 Best Books: Children's Catalog, Eighteenth Edition, 2001 ; H.W. Wilson; United States The Children's Literature Choice List, 2001 ; Children's Literature; United States Notable Social Studies Trade Books for Young People, 2001 ; National Council for the Social Studies; United States Publishers Weekly Book Review Stars, January 2000 ; Cahners; United States Jabutí the Tortoise: A Trickster Tale from the Amazon Gerald McDermott    Many animals have been tricked by Jabut, the flute-playing tortoise with the smooth, shiny shell. The angriest of all is the jealous Vulture. When the King of Heaven calls all the birds up to a festival, Jabut wants to play his sweet music there. Vulture, seeing his chance for revenge, offers to fly Jabut up there, but treacherously drops him on the rocks where his shell is shattered. The King of Heaven, however, sends the birds to find his pieces so they can put him together to play his music, and his tricks, again. McDermott uses the brilliant colors of the Amazon--lush greens, hot pinks, lapis blues--in his cubistic style to fashion the fantastic landscape and flocks of multi-hued jungle birds across the double pages. But it's the gray and black vulture with its small yellow eyes that makes the greatest impression by contrast. A source note is included. 2001, Harcourt, $16.00. Ages 4 to 8. Reviewer: Ken Marantz and Sylvia Marantz Jabuti the tortoise is known throughout the rain forest for the music he plays on his flute. He is a bit of a trickster so it reminds some of his friends of past tricks. But it reminds the jealous Vulture that he cannot play any music at all. So when the King of Heaven calls for a concert, Vulture offers to give Jabuti a ride. Of course you remember what happened to the Gingerbread Boy when he accepted a ride. Jabuti falls to the ground when Vulture drops him, but his friends help piece his shell back together again. While Jabuti does not outwit Vulture, according to McDermott's notes, there is a universal trickster theme that I was unaware of--creation comes from chaos. I think this makes it a particularly nice addition to the corpus of trickster tales for children. McDermott's illustrations are extraordinarily vivid, as I imagine the flowers are in that part of the world. 2001, Harcourt, $16.00. Ages 7 to 10. Reviewer: Joan Kindig ISBN: 0152004963 Best Books: Children's Catalog, Eighteenth Edition, Supplement, 2002 ; H.W. Wilson; United States Children's Choices, 2002 ; International Reading Association; United States State and Provincial Reading Lists: 2X2 Reading List, 2002 ; Texas Kentucky Bluegrass Award, 2003 ; Kentucky John Henry Julius Lester Illustrated by Jerry Pinkney   "This tale attempts to be faithful to the indomitable human spirit John Henry embodies" is the opening line on a soft yellow page that introduces this African-American folk hero. John Henry challenges a steam drill in a tunnel-digging contest. He wins, but the exertion proves to be his undoing. Award winning artist Jerry Pinkney's absolutely beautiful watercolors reflects the strength, emotions and awe of John Henry and his exploits. A book for reading aloud and to be treasured for a lifetime. 1994, Dial, Ages 4 to 8, $16.99 and $16.89. Reviewer: Marilyn Courtot Jump Again! More Adventures of Brer Rabbit Joel Chandler Harris Adapted by Van Dyke Parks Illustrated by Barry Moser   Once again author and illustrator have collaborated to bring readers a collection of five more Uncle Remus tales from the 1800s. These short folk tales of the mischievous Brer Rabbit will provide kids with a perfect introduction to an African American folk hero. The best known tale in the collection is the Tar-Baby story, but the others are also full of charm and wit. Barry Moser's watercolors are absolutely perfect and really bring the sly humor of the tales to new heights. 1997 (orig. 1987), Harcourt, Ages 6 up, $16.00. Reviewer: Marilyn Courtot Jump! The Adventures of Brer Rabbit Joel Chandler Harris Adapted by Van Dyke Parks and Malcolm Jones Illustrated by Barry Moser   Five of the best Uncle Remus tales from the 1800s have been pulled together in this collection. These short stories tell of the mischievous Brer Rabbit who tries and succeeds in outsmarting all the other creatures in the animal community including the likes of Brer Wolf and Brer Fox. It will provide young readers with a perfect introduction to this African American folk hero. 1997 (orig. 1986), Harcourt, Ages 6 up, $16.00 and $7.00. Reviewer: Mary Sue Preissner Kele's Secret Written by Tololwa M. Mollel Illustrated by Catherine Stock   Young Yoanes has a problem. His grandmother's hen, Kele, is hiding her eggs. He finds them in the barn, the fields, and even the outhouse. This little boy is set on finding them all because he can go to the market with his grandmother if he does. He cleverly follows her one day, but she goes into the scariest place on the farm. Yoanes braves his fear of dark places and the Nenauner monster to find the eggs and go to the market. This African tale is brought to life by Stock's detailed watercolors. 1997, Lodestar, Ages 6 to 10, $14.99 and $5.99. Reviewer: Alexandria LaFaye ISBN: 0-14-055649-4 Konte Chameleon: Fine, Fine, Fine! A West African Folk Tale Retold by Cristina Kessler Illustrated by Christian Epanya   Lush and vivid illustrations accompany this story about Konte's discovery that changing colors comes "naturally" to him and that he is not in fact sick, sick, sick as he first thinks! 1997, Boyds Mills Press, Ages 2 to 5, $15.95. Reviewer: Karen Saxe ISBN: 1-56397-181-X Lake of the Big Snake: An African Rain Forest Adventure Isaac Olaleye Illustrated by Claudia Shepard   Nigerian born author, Isaac Olaleye, tells a tale based on the stories that were told to him as a child. Near the towns of Inisa and Iloko lies the lake that's rumored to be home to a monstrous snake. Two friends have been warned about going out of their huts while their moms are away for the day, but the boys (as boys worldwide do) take advantage of a found opportunity to play. The boys find themselves on the shores of the Lake of the Big Snake along with berries, adventure, danger, AND the big snake! Quick thinking and friendship save the day and bring the boys back safely to their worried moms. It's a universal story told with Nigerian details and patois; and illustrated with all the bold lushness you'd expect to find in a rain forest adventure. Note: There's a typo on the cover that the publisher assures us will be fixed. 1998, Boyds Mills Press Inc., Ages 5 to 9, $15.95. Reviewer: Judy Katsh ISBN: 1-56397-096-1 Lapin Plays Possum   Adapted by Sharon Arms Doucet Pictures by Scott Cook    New Orleans analogies fill this story, which was adapted from African and Creole tales about a small, manipulative rabbit, and a large, gullible canine. The rabbit, Lapin, continuously outwits Bouki, the canine, out of free farmland, food, and water, until finally Bouki turns the tables and tricks Lapin. The moral is that size is not as important as wit. The story takes place in Louisiana, which is obvious through the constant references to things that have become cultural icons such as gumbo, rice pudding, and Mardi Gras. Adults may get more out of the story than children because of this, but it's a great way for young readers to learn about part of America's southern culture. The many analogies give color to the story, and each one is as southern as the next. The accompanying artwork is rich in color and dynamic, carrying the reader's eyes across the page to see what Bouki and Lapin are up to next. The text is peppered with French words, and a useful glossary defines the French words as they are used in context in the story. 2002, Melanie Kroupa Books, Ages 9 to 12, $18.00. Reviewer: Cherie Ilg Haas ISBN: 0-374-34328-4 The Legend of the African Baobab Tree Bobbi Dooley Hunter   The beautiful tree keeps complaining and finally, exceedingly tired of its requests to be the best and most beautiful, the Great Spirit plucks the tree and throws it upside down into the ground. Hence, the name baobab which means "roots". The tree looks like its roots are reaching to the sky and its leaves appear for only a short time each year. There is a section about African animals at the end of the book. 1995, Africa World Press, Ages 5 up, $16.95 and $8.95. Reviewer: Marilyn Courtot The Magical Adventures of Pretty Pearl Virginia Hamilton   African and African-American folklore come to life in this fantasy by award winning author Virginia Hamilton. The story opens on Mount Kenya in Africa, home to the god child Pretty Pearl and all the other gods, including her brother John de Conquer. Curious about mankind, Pretty Pearl tells her brother what she has seen. "Well, it most strange," she said. "I spy de ones who out gatherin'. Some other ones come grab holt them, hit them and carry them off somewheres. Don't know where. It all seem most strange, though." Sympathetic to the plight of the humans she has seen, Pretty Pearl wants to help. First, however, her brother John de Conquer tells her she must learn patience and not interfere with human progress. Biding her time until a period after the Civil War, Pretty Pearl is finally given permission to descend to earth. Armed with talismans, spirits and the powerful de Conquer root, Pretty Pearl joins a group of independent blacks whose home is threatened by the coming of a railroad. This richly textured coming of age tale of the god child Pretty Pearl is absorbing and can be read and understood on many levels. 1983, HarperTrophy, Ages 11 up, $5.95. Reviewer: Deborah Palgon ISBN: 0-06-440178-2 Moaning Bones: African-American Ghost Stories Retold by Jim Haskins Illustrations by Felicia Marshall    This brief collection of African-American ghost stories is brief in every way. Each tale is no more than 3 pages in length, including the pen-and-ink drawing that accompanies each story. The topic is usually about someone who has died and is uneasy in death, although several of the pieces have more fairytale-like themes. One story, for instance, tells about a Cinderella character who is mistreated by the couple who take her in after her parents die. When a ghost gives her gold, the girl's circumstances change, and she lives happily ever after. Other stories have a more modern setting. In one, drivers on a certain dark road are hailed by a woman. When they reach their destination, the woman has disappeared, and the travelers learn that they have offered a ride to the ghost of a woman killed on that same road years before. These are two of the better stories in this book. Although this title is presented as appropriate for grades 2 and up, the lack of supporting illustrations would make reading and comprehension difficult for these beginning readers. Additionally, the stories seem incomplete and lacking in details. A better choice for students above grade 4, and then, with reservations. 1998, Lothrop Lee & Shepard Books, $15.00. Ages 9 up. Reviewer: Linda Uhlenkott Moaning Bones: African-American Ghost Stories Retold by Jim Haskins Illustrations by Felicia Marshall    Almost everyone enjoys hearing a good ghost story. In this collection of 17 spooky tales, you will meet a variety of eerie creatures such as the Ghost Calf, Old Hy-Ty, the Ghost in the Backseat, and Old Moccasin's ghost, to name but a few. In these traditional folk tales, retold in read-aloud style, you'll visit a haunted steamship, a majestic plantation farmhouse, and the Lake of the Dead. These stories are all short and easy reads, with nice black and white illustrations. Don't worry--they're more fun than scary, and suitable for younger children. 1998, Lothrop Lee & Shepard/Morrow Junior Books, $15.00. Ages 7 up. Reviewer: Christopher Moning ISBN: 0-688-16021-2 Best Books: Notable Children's Books in the Language Arts, 1999; National Council of Teachers of English; United States Nabulela Fiona Moodie   This South African tale of Nabulela, the monster that eats people, is also the story of a too-fond father and of the politics and jealousies in every human village. At its heart, it is the story of a girl and her dog. Young Nandi is a winner, and the text and illustrations together make for a tightly woven tale. 1997, Farrar Strauss Giroux, Ages 7 to 11, $15.00. Reviewer: Uma Krishnaswami The Name of the Tree: A Bantu Tale Celia Barker Lottridge Illustrated by Ian Wallace    This oft-reprinted Bantu tale shows that it is the one who tries the hardest rather than the most talented one who gets the job done. In the time of starvation, the animals spot a fruitful tree but can't get any food unless someone knows the name of the tree. So, fast antelope and the elephant with a great memory each journey to the king to ask for the name and both forget when misfortune befalls them. But it the slow-moving tortoise who gently tricks the king, chants "Ungalli, Ungalli, the name of the tree is Ungalli" until he returns, and causes the fruits to rain down. The much-rewarded illustrator and author won the Canadian Mr. Christie's Book Award for this retelling and Wallace's parched tan and soft earth-toned illustrations with the gradual greening of the palette perfectly suit the content of the folktale. It's one that has continued to please young children who leave the book chanting softly "Ungalli, Ungalli" and perhaps to better appreciate the value of sticking to the task at hand. 2001 (1989), Groundwood, Ages 4 to 8, $16.95. Reviewer: Susan Hepler ISBN: 0-88899-097-9 Raw Head, Bloody Bones: African-American Tales of the Supernatural Selected by Mary E. Lyons   In an all-pervading market of Goosebumps, this is the real thing. Lyons presents ghost and monster tales of lilting words and imagery, of remarkable humor and fright. These are stories that cry out to be read aloud with passion and enthusiasm. They come primarily from he Sea Islands and Bahamas and present rhythms and phrases from Gullah and other African-American dialects that actually justify the term "Black English". With the addition of a fine introduction and notes, Raw Head is a truly intelligent and exciting collection of stories to wet the appetites of blase' kids. 1995, Aladdin, Ages 10 up, $14.00 and $3.95. Reviewer: Kathleen Karr ISBN: 0-684-19333-7 ISBN: 0-689-80306-0 The River that Went to the Sky: Twelve Tales by African Storytellers Selected by Mary Medlicott Illustrations by Ademola Akintola   In this impressive anthology are twelve tales from across the African continent. They are both traditional and contemporary, with protagonists both animal and human, male and female, earthly and of otherworldly. Together they present a kaleidoscopic view of the evolving, changing face of storytelling from a part of the world whose traditions and cultures are as diverse as they are fascinating. Akintola's colorful paintings provide images that complement the voices in these stories. Vincent Magombe's foreword infomrs and enriches the collection. This is a valuable resource for teachers, storytellers and librarians, in addition to being a satisfying addition to a young reader's bookshelf. 1996, Kingfisher Books, Ages 8 up, $16.95. Reviewer: Uma Krishnaswami The Secret Of The Stones: A Folktale Retold by Robert D. San Souci Pictures by James Ransome     This folktale is based on several sources--African American legends from Arkansas and Bantu tales. A childless couple, Clara and John, who love each other deeply work daily in the cotton fields from sun up to dusk. Often they return home tired, but must do their own chores and eat dinner. On day, Clara finds two white stones and takes them home--strange things begin to happen. Every night when they return home all of their chores are done. When they can't discover who their helpers are, they seek the advise of Aunt Easter. They learn that two orphaned children are their benefactors and they sincerely want to make them part of their lives, but there are complications. Again they turn to Aunt Easter. It is a beautifully told story of love, devotion and persistence. The story is filled with beautiful illustrations by James Ransome who also illustrated James Weldon Johnson's The Creation, winner of Coretta Scott King Award for illustration. 2000, Phyllis Fogelman Books/Penguin Putnam, $16.99. Ages 5 to 9. Reviewer: Leila Toledo ISBN: 0-8037-1640-0 The Secret Of The Stones: A Folktale Retold by Robert D. San Souci Pictures by James Ransome    This retelling is drawn primarily from Arkansas folk tales, but has older sources in an African Bantu legend. Childless John and Clara are hard working cotton farmers who find two white stones that seem to perform household tasks while they sleep. The mystery is solved by Aunt Easter who can see "haunts," knows cures, and helps them outwit the conjure-man who has transformed two orphaned children into stone. Threaded with dialect, the story is also made richer by its poetic verses, African-American traditions, and the vivid illustrations by Ransome. 2000, Phyllis Fogelman, $16.99. Ages 7 to 10. Reviewer: Susie Wilde ISBN: 0-8037-1640-0 Best Books: Children's Catalog, Eighteenth Edition, 2001; H.W. Wilson; United States Notable Social Studies Trade Books for Young People, 2001; National Council for the Social Studies; United States The Six Fools Zora Neale Hurston Adapted by Joyce Carol Thomas Illustrated by Ann Tanksley    I have always loved the folktale about the three sillies who drove a prospective bridegroom to swear he had to find three more equally foolish people before marrying his fiancé. I found myself even more enchanted by this version, collected by Zora Neale Hurston in the 1930s and adapted by Joyce Carol Thomas. The telling echoes the vivid language of the American South rather than that of Europe. As for the "adapted by" credits, it looks as if Thomas's edits may reflect concern for young readers. (In Hurston's text I believe the drink that the foolish girl and her parents let flow may be stronger than fresh apple cider.) As for Ann Tanksley's illustrations, "exuberant" is the word that comes to mind. Her bold colors and schematic figures do suggest the 1930s. It is wonderful to see the important folklore research that Hurston did and that was lost for so many years is having a renaissance. It is especially nice to see that these tales are being made accessible to the young with engaging words and pictures instead of being buried in somber tomes of folklore. 2006, HarperCollins, $15.99. Ages 6 to 10. Reviewer: Mary Hynes-Berry (Children's Literature). ISBN: 0-06-000646-3 ISBN: 0-06-000647-1 Sundiata: A Legend of Africa Will Eisner    Beginning with an intriguing, evil Great Gray Rock who takes the form of storyteller, this tale is anything but mundane. Will Eisner, noted in the world of comic art, takes the telling of the birth of the country Mali to a new height with his combination of graphics and words. Good and evil are brought to the forefront right away when Sumanguru, an evil king, gains powers from the rock to use against good people. Using powers of darkness, cunning, and forces of nature, Sumanguru is allowed to rule all as he sweeps away nation after nation filled with good people. Only when he meets up with a crippled child whom he shuns does his downfall begin. The child, Sundiata, son of a king, is left alone with his mother after Sumanguru ravages his village. In the position to be called to greatness, Sundiata struggles to gain physical strength and then leadership. When his learning is complete, he is given the secret of how to rid Sumanguru of his powers. He does so and the evil rock and Sumanguru are exiled to another world. Readers will enjoy this skillfully produced comic book format which makes for easy reading. 2002, NBM Publishing, $15.95. Ages 5 to 12. Reviewer: Nancy Garhan Attebury ISBN: 1561633321 ISBN: 1561633402 The Terrible, Wonderful Tellin' at Hog Hammock Kim Seligson Illustrated by Eric Velasquez   Young Jonas lives on Sapelo Island off the coast of Georgia. Six months after his grandfather's death, Jonas still struggles with his feelings of guilt because he chose to play with his friend rather than go fishing with his grandfather. Jonas thinks if only ha had been with his grandfather instead of his friend, perhaps... Joanas remembers his grandfather's gift for tellin'. The tradition of storytelling is very important to the inhabitants of Sapelo Island. According to tradition and superstition, Jonas' Grandfather's gift for "tellin" has been passed on to Jonas. The monthly tellin' meeting is approaching, and Jonas' grandmother believes that he is able to tell because of the supposed transference. What can he do? How can he remember and tell a story in front of all the inhabitants of Hog Hammock? Jonas ultimately learns the power of family tradition and the significance of his African American culture as he struggles to remember his grandfather's stores. References to the tales of Brer Rabbit and Brer Crow exemplify the timelessness of storytelling. Filled with the richness of the Gullah language and customs, this is a warm and realistic tale of growing up in a small and unique community. 1996, HarperCollins, Ages 7 to 10, $13.95 and $13.89. Reviewer: Judith Gravitz ISBN: 0-06-024877-7 Trouble Jane Kurtz Illustrated by Durga Bernhard   Kurtz tells her version of the folk tale that Howard Courlander popularized in his book, "Fire on the Mountain". Like Courlander's book, Kurtz places her story between the boundaries of Ertirea, formerly part of Ethiopia. In her very personal account, a child's board game is the impetus for the story. This board game is traded for a variety of treats and neat things for the very curious boy Tekleh (TUK-kuh-luh). At the beginning of the story, Tekleh is given the game to keep him out of trouble. As a new day begins, he takes his game and his goats out to graze. What he finds along the way keeps him occupied, fills his tummy and keeps the goats happy. In this circular story, he returns home with a new game board, well-fed goats and a lizard. this picture book, done in watercolors, provides illustrations that are a nice complement to the text. The pictures convey what is happening moment by moment, while leaving room for "what will happen next". All of this is done without crowding the page. For an added bonus, the illustrations on the endpapers retell the story without words. Anyone who enjoys African folk tales will enjoy this book! 1997, Gulliver Books, Harcourt Brace, Ages 5 up, $15.00. Reviewer: Karen Moroughan ISBN: 0-15-200219-7 The Village That Vanished   Ann Grifalconi Illustrated by Kadir Nelson    In a voice reflecting the style of a traditional African folk teller, Grifalconi celebrates the courage and ingenuity of young Abikanile and her mother Njemile of the Yao people. When the men are away and only the old men, women and children are in the village, the news of approaching slavers frightens them. Njemile tells them they must disappear into the forest, while Abikanile shows them how to dismantle their huts, then bravely leads them across the dangerous river, being inspired by the spirits of the ancestors. When the slavers arrive at the village, they find only the old grandmother. "And that is how the Yao tribe was saved." Nelson creates his full-color paintings by photocopying his pencil drawings and applying oil paints to the copies. The fine black lines, subtly colored with transparent hues, create the jungle village and its many inhabitants, building sculptural forms. One can almost feel the humidity and sense the anxiety. Real personalities emerge as well, while a spiritual feeling hovers over them all. 2002, Dial Books for Young Readers/Penguin Putnam, Ages 4 to 8, $16.99. Reviewer: Ken Marantz and Sylvia Marantz ISBN: 0-8037-2623-6 When Birds Could Talk and Bats Could Sing Virginia Hamilton Illustrated by Barry Moser   Just looking at the cover and the incredible expressions on the bird's faces and their fabulous hats make you want to open this book up. Hamilton has taken African American tales originally written down by Martha Young shortly after the Civil War, and retells them in colloquial speech to make them accessible to today's readers and storytellers. These tales told by plantation slaves are in the cante fable tradition--funny verse and song, poignant story, all leading up to the moral at the end. Moser's illustrations have never been better. They blend so well with the stories that it is hard to think of the two separately. Don't miss this one! 1996, Scholastic, All Ages, $17.95. Reviewer: Marilyn Courtot ISBN: 0-590-47372-7 Why Heaven is Far Away   Julius Lester Illustrated by Joe Cepeda    Basing the bones of the story on two old African folktales he told in Black Folktales, "Why the Sky Is Far Away" and "How the Snake Got Its Rattles," Julius Lester has fashioned an irreverent, hip, and funny new story of God, Mrs. God, Bruce the Secretary, and Shaniqua, the angel in charge of everybody's business. It seems that back when the world was new, the snakes were eaten by everyone so when Shaiqua points out this iniquity to God, God has Bruce look up "snake poison" on the computer, gives it to snakes to use when they are threatened, and things are fine. That is, until the snakes start biting all that moves, humans start climbing the ladders to heaven to complain, and everything is in chaos both up there and down here. So Shaniqua and Mrs. God decide to sing up a commotion and as everyone dances, some snakes lose their poison, the creatures dance back down to earth and God declares that from now on, to save having poison protection, snakes will mostly just scare people, and then he pulls the ladders up so that earth can work out its own problems instead of running to heaven whenever something goes wrong. Lester has a fine time with language, alliteration, similes, and the ludicrous mix of contemporary high-fives and God-cheers from the heavenly choir with the traditional-leaning story. Cepeda's oil painting illustrations abound with funny juxtapositions and are as hip and humorous as the text. Like "What a Truly Cool World," this is an exhilarating tale, one that's fun to read aloud with illustrations that bear up well over multiple readings, and a theme perhaps that the world has to handle some affairs on its own. It is also a great choice for older readers to notice how one creates characters, setting, plot, and theme with economy, using the structures of traditional literature. 2002, Scholastic, Ages 5 to 11, $16.95. Reviewer: Susan Hepler ISBN: 0-439-17871-1 Why the Sun and Moon Live in the Sky Niki Daly   Daly's story is based on an African tale about the sun and moon. According to the legend, the sun and moon originally lived on earth until the sun, enraptured with the sea, invited her home. This resulted in dire consequences. 1995, Lothrop, Ages 3 to 6, $15.00 and $14.93. Reviewer: Leila Toledo ISBN: 0-688-13331-2 Young Mouse and Elephant Pamela J. Farris Illustrations by Valeri Gorbachev   Farris, a professor of children's literature and language arts as well as a storyteller, retells an East African folk tale. She brings her many talents to this book; her telling of the story flows. Our hero is a young mouse who claims that he is the strongest animal in the plains. His wise grandfather advises him that the elephant is the strongest, and thus begins little mouse's search for his rival. You'll have to read the book to find out what is in store for him! 1996, Houghton, Ages 5 to 8, $14.95. Reviewer: Karen Saxe ISBN: 0-395-73977-2 To stay up to date on new books on this topic, consider subscribing to The Children's Literature Comprehensive Database. For your free trial, click here. Updated 1/6/03