An African folktale follows the son of a chief who must make his way in the world with only a sackful of kola nuts and the help of some creatures that he has treated with kindness.
Folklore and Fairy Tales
Sungura and Leopard: A Swahili Trickster Tale
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.
The Three Little Dassies
In this adaptation of the traditional folktale, three little dassies (also called rock hyraxes) build their houses in the Namib Desert of Southern Africa, hoping for protection from the eagle that lives atop a nearby mountain.
Jackal’s Flying Lesson
With the help of a blue crane, a mother dove rescues her babies from a not-so-clever jackal.
Khoikhoi, Southern Africa
The Honey Hunters
An African folktale in which various animals peacefully follow a honey guide bird, but find that sharing the honey among themselves causes problems.
The Ancestor Tree: 9
Saddened by the death of their special friend, the very old man who told them stories and jokes, the village children decide to go against custom and plant a tree for him in the Forest of the Ancestors.
Ganekwane And The Green Dragon: Four Stories From Africa
The traditions of Western fairy tales and African oral storytelling are beautifully combined with bold and colorful illustrations in a collection of stories that celebrate the ingenuity and compassion of four young heroines.
The Man Who Knew Too Much: A Moral Tale from the Baila of Zambia
A husband does not believe it when his wife tells him that their crying baby is comforted by a huge eagle who flies down with its sharp talons and alights on the baby.
The Royal Drum: An Ashanti Tale
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.
Anansi
Two Jamaican folk tales in which Anansi the spider practices his trickery on others. Includes an audio cassette featuring narration and music.