Material appropriate for primary age groups
A read-aloud rebus treasure from the Ashanti in Ghana. Who is the laziest animal of all? All the animals gather together to help make a drum for the king of the jungle, but Anansi makes certain that Monkey ends up with the hardest job of all.
As a young girl growing up in Kenya, Wangari was surrounded by trees. But years later when she returns home, she is shocked to see whole forests being cut down, and she knows that soon all the trees will be destroyed. So Wangari decides to do something – and starts by planting nine seedlings in her own backyard. And as they grow, so do her plans. This true story of Wangari Maathai, environmentalist and winner of the Nobel Peace Prize, is a shining example of how one woman’s passion, vision, and determination inspired great change.
A young African drummer learns the difference between extremes and moderation when the King of the Forest teaches him to say “yes” instead of “no.”
An adaptation of a folktale from southern Africa, in which a magical bird helps a kind young girl get back her people’s stolen cattle from Makucha the monster.
When a young boy named Tabu is taken away by an old mama elephant while his father is sleeping, Tabu’s mother gets him back by teaching the elephants how to dance.
Unwilling to share his feast, Ananse the spider tricks Akye the turtle so that he can eat all the food himself, but Akye finds a way to get even.
The king challenges the animals in his kingdom to prove their wisdom by making him a robe of smoke, but only the tortoise is able to satisfy him.
A small but clever hare and a fierce leopard agree to share a house, but as the hare’s family grows, he realizes that he must find a way to get rid of his bad-tempered neighbor.
A collection of folktales from Kenya and other parts of Africa, including “The Crocodile, The Boy and The Kind Deed,” “Why The Moon Comes Out at Night,” and “Wacu and The Eagle.”
An African folktale in which various animals peacefully follow a honey guide bird, but find that sharing the honey among themselves causes problems.