A Story A Story
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Book Overview
Discover how an African trickster god made it possible for people to tell stories in this brightly illustrated, Caldecott Medal-winning picture book. Long, long ago there were no stories on earth for children to hear. All stories belonged to Nyame, the Sky God. Ananse, the Spider man, wanted to buy some of these stories, so he spun a web up to the sky to bargain with the Sky God. The price the Sky God asked was Osebo, the leopard-of-the-terrible-teeth, Mmboro the hornet-who-stings-like-fire, and Mmoatia the fairy-whom-men-never-see. Can Ananse capture these sly creatures and give the children of earth stories to tell?
Format:Hardcover
Language:English
ISBN:0689205112
ISBN13:9780689205118
Release Date:February 1970
Publisher:Atheneum Books for Young Readers
Length:36 Pages
Weight:1.18 lbs.
Dimensions:0.6" x 10.0" x 10.1"
Age Range:4 to 8 years
Grade Range:Preschool to Grade 3
Customer Reviews
5 ratings
In the Beginning
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 17 years ago
A long time ago before there were books to read, there were stories to hear. And before there were stories to hear, there was nothing to tell at all. Then it was that something unusual happened to break that long, dead silence. [Picture book suitable for the primary through intermediate grades.]
Ananse tales are must haves
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 19 years ago
I think that I enjoy this story more than my children. Great for children at least age 4 and up. Too lengthy for a toddler. But this a great story for family time especially if you can memorize it and tell it to the children...
A wonderful introduction to fables
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 25 years ago
My daughter was not particularly interested in hearing a story the first time we opened this book, but within a few pages, the magic of the story, and the wonderful cadence of the words, captured her attention. She was spell bound to the end. The story was an opportunity to talk to her about another culture, teach her about the concepts of fables and oral traditions, and to just plainly entertain her.
An African tale of Anase's quest to get the world's stories.
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 26 years ago
A Story A Story contains perhaps the most beautiful art in any children's book ever. But it's more than vibrant colorful pictures. This African folk tale captures the imagination of children of all ages. Anase the spider man uses his brains and wits to complete difficult tasks in order to release all of the world's stories, held by a powerful god. The story is timeless is exciting.
Fantastic, subtle, timeless are just some adjectives
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 26 years ago
This book has been a lifelong inspiration to me as a writer and as a language theorist! There is a subtle complexity in the story which is not immedately obvious. If you think about language or how humans tell stories , you should read this book, If you like stories, you should read this book
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