Ananse's Feast: An Ashanti Tale - Softcover

Mollel, Tololwa Marti

Softcover

ISBN 10: 061819598X ISBN 13: 9780618195985

Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2002

Synopsis

When clever spider Ananse invites Akye the turtle to dine with him, Akye is tricked out of getting a single bite of his meal, but he gets his revenge when he in turn prepares a splendid meal for Ananse and then sends him home hungry. Reprint.

About this title

About the Author:

Tololwa M. Mollel, an Arusha Maasai from Tanzania, grew up on his grandfather's coffee farm, an hour's drive from Mount Kilimanjaro. After receiving his B.A. in Literature and Theatre at the University of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, Mr. Mollel went to Canada in 1966 to complete his master's degree at the University of Alberta. In the late 1970s he returned to Tanzania where he was Senior Lecturer and Head of the Theatre Department at the University of Dar es Salaam. At that time he was also co-director of a children's theatre and arts group. Mr. Mollel has written many books for Clarion. He lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota..

Andrew Glass has illustrated many stories for children, among them Crabby Cratchitt and The Tale of Willie Monroe. His latest is Mountain Men: True Grit and Tall Tales (Doubleday), one of several books he has written and illustrated about the American frontier.

From School Library Journal:

Kindergarten-Grade 3. Ananse tales are many; nevertheless, this rendition, so full of trickery and comeuppance, deserves space on library shelves. Mollel spins a plot that hums mirthfully along, right in step with Ananse, who is blithely preparing a feast for himself. Never mind that a drought is parching the land and that food is scarce?clever Ananse has stored up yams, peppers, rice, and beans and plans to take full advantage. When Akye the turtle gets a whiff and comes calling, Ananse can't turn his friend away and invites him to stay. If that sounds too generous for the wily spider, you're right. Ananse declares the turtle's hands are too dirty and sends him?once, twice, three times?to the river for washing. Akye, who must use his hands for walking, always returns still full of smudge, but by the time he realizes Ananse's treachery, the spider has devoured all the food. Seemingly unperturbed, Akye makes plans for his own kind of feast in a way that undoes Ananse, but will have children cheering. Glass brightens the tale with oil and colored-pencil illustrations and reflects the ongoing drama with changing facial expressions that heighten the humor. Ragged lines and layered colors, toned with rustic hues, give vibrancy and the artist's bulbous portrayal of the spider adds new dimension (literally) to the Ananse lineup.?Barbara Elleman, Marquette University, Milwaukee, WI
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About this edition

• Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
• Publication date: 2002
• ISBN 10: 061819598X
• ISBN 13: 9780618195985
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 32
• Illustrator: Glass Andrew