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Anansi the Spider: A Tale from the Ashanti | 
| Author: Gerald Mcdermott
Publisher: Henry Holt and Company
Category: Book
List Price: $7.99
Buy Used: $2.46
You Save: $5.53 (69%)
New (36) Used (26) Collectible (2) from $2.46
Rating:  12 reviews
Sales Rank: 10368
Media: Paperback
Edition: 1
Reading Level: Ages 4-8
Pages: 48
Number Of Items: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.3
Dimensions (in): 8.5 x 7.2 x 0.2
ISBN: 0805003118
Dewey Decimal Number: 398.2
EAN: 9780805003116
ASIN: 0805003118
Publication Date: March 15, 1987
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Amazon.com Review
Anansi the Spider is a wise, funny, mischievous, and loveable folk hero who pops up in traditional Ashanti tales from Ghana, in West Africa. This story, retold and illustrated by Gerald McDermott, relates the tale of father Anansi and his six spider sons. When Anansi sets out on a dangerous journey and gets into all sorts of trouble, each son does one thing to help, and all their efforts together save their father. He finds a mysterious, beautiful globe of light in the forest, and decides to make it a gift of thanks. But which son should receive the prize? Even with the help of Nyame, the God of All Things, he can't decide, so Nyame takes the great globe up into the sky, and that's where it has stayed ever since--the moon, for all to see. This profound story reaches children of many ages; younger ones see it as an exciting rescue story, but older children are intrigued by the larger themes of cooperation and "the whole being more than its parts." Anansi the Spider, McDermott's first book, received immediate acclaim and was named a Caldecott Honor Book. McDermott has retold and illustrated many other folktales and myths during his long career, including Arrow to the Sun: A Pueblo Indian Tale, which received the Caldecott Medal, Musicians of the Sun, and a series of trickster folktales from around the world. He has a rare combination of skills, being both a gifted writer and a talented artist. His distinctive graphic style using bold shapes and brilliant colors is always striking, but is especially well suited to the story of Anansi, with traditional African motifs skillfully integrated throughout the art. This is a story that can be read over and over again! (Ages 4 to 9) --Marcie Bovetz
Product Description
In this traditional tale from West Africa, Anansi, the Spider, sets out on a long journey. Threatened by Fish and Falcon, he is saved from terrible fates by his sons. But which of his six sons should he reward? The color, splendid design montage, and the authentic African language rhythms forge a new direction in picture books for children. Caldecott Honor Book. Lewis Carroll Shelf Award.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 7 more reviews...
Anansi the Spider - A Tale from Ashanti February 26, 2009
Craig R. Love
I thought this book was awesome! I am reading this book for my class. My favortie part of the book was when the six children saved there Father. I think everyone should read this book by Gerald McDermott. One of the sons split open the fish and saved his father. That was cool! This book was about a father and his six sons. The Father got lost and got eaten by a fish. One of the six sons suck up all of the water and another son split open the fish. When they saved there father a bird picked him up. Another son name Stone Thrower threw a stone at the bird and the dad fell and landed on another son named Cushion. Anansi went into the woods and found a light and wanted to know who to give it to. He went to the God of all things to ask which son to give it too. After much arguing the God of all things put the light in the sky for all to see.
Anansi The Spider September 5, 2008
ZnJsMom (Savannah, GA USA)
I read this book as a child and I loved all the art work and the wonderful story. In fact, I loved the story so much, some 30 years later I gave my son (now 4) the middle name of Anansi. My son and daughter (age 3) love the story of Anansi and his six sons. Even when we don't have the book with us, we talk about Anansi, his sons and their adventures. This story is great because children learn that we each have a skill that makes us unique and we each contribute something important to the family.
Anansi Makes Me Laugh... June 1, 2008
Arcturus70 (In the Orion Spur of the Milky Way Galaxy)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
I am a big fan of the Anansi tales, and the spider's adventures are delightful as well as thought-provoking. For edutainment (educational entertainment) and discussion, I include them in my high school / college level introduction to mythology / humanities survey courses. All ages can enjoy a clever trickster hero who possesses many human qualities, the good and bad--who makes us think about our own deeds and behavior.
In Anansi The Spider: A Tale from the Ashanti, Gerald McDermott retells an Anansi story with warmth, cultural sensitivity, and bright, attention-seizing illustrations. Among the children's books about Anansi, McDermott's efforts stand in a unique place because the text is used sparingly and with great effect, conveying important events only and not burying key ideas in lavish descriptions or dialogues. In this book, the elaborate, geometric illustrations paint the "descriptions" that the text omits.
Features that I like...
The map in the opening that shows the continent of Africa and the country of Ghana. (I'm always happy to see a bit of geography dropped into stories, especially those designed for children.)
The Prologue, which describes the importance of folklore, mythology, and legends. I especially appreciate this statement: "Folklore prepares man for adult life. It places him within his culture."
Rather than beginning the story with the familiar "Once upon a time...," the author uses "Time was..." which is cool! :)
Each of the spider sons in the story is unique in design, appearance, and talent, which makes him easy (and fun) to identify as the tale unfolds. The six sons are See Trouble, Road Builder, River Drinker, Game Skinner, Stone Thrower, and Cushions.
The character of Anansi is rendered with an expressive personality and face while his sons' faces are not shown--just their designs, bodies, and talents. Anansi's face changes emotions based on his experiences, and this would be an excellent teaching element for very young children upon hearing / seeing the story.
Themes & Talking Points the book offers:
Counting, colors, shapes, animals, teamwork, family, intro to Africa [Very Young Children]
Reading; Cause & Effect; Critical Thinking & Response; African Culture. How does Anansi get into and out of trouble? // Each spider is an individual with a specific skill or trait; each spider has a place in the family. What does this suggest about the culture of the Ashanti? // The rescue of Anansi is really a team effort by the sons, but who should get the reward? Does the ending solve this problem? [For children 5-12]
Reading & Design; Symbolism; Critical Analysis; Author Intent; Culture. Why did the author / illustrator choose not to show the faces of the six sons in the story? How does this choice affect the story? How does Anansi's face tell his story? What is the relationship between a son's name and his unique design? In what instances is Anansi's face NOT shown and why? What lessons are taught in this tale? What universal themes are present? Does this book deserve its "honor" designation? [For tweens through college students]
 A Popular Book in Our Home - a review of "Anansi the Spider" January 26, 2006
Pam Tee
5 out of 5 found this review helpful
Anansi and his sons are popular guys in our home. My son and daughter (nearly 4 and 6) just adore them, and I enjoy the fact that this book demonstrates how well cooperation works. Not to mention that we get to discuss the story, Ghana, and how people are both like us *and* are different from us.
In this story Anansi heads out for a walk only to be besieged by problems, first from a hungry fish, and then from a falcon. He would have been lunch were it not for his caring sons who fortunately have super-arachnid abilities.
Four Stars. Good Read-aloud. Good story with a moral. My daughter even decided to practice reading this fun and exciting story.
Vibrant, vivid illustration and a wonderful tale January 14, 2001
sethyed
11 out of 11 found this review helpful
The Anansi stories have been handed down through generations of Ashanti culture. This book is a wonderful, vibrant and vivid story for children of all ages. Born in Ghana I left at aged 3, leaving much of the Ghanaian culture behind. At aged 30 I can still remember a song about Anansi the spider, the only remnants left of my native tongue. I was given the Anansi book as a child, it captivated me, I read it over and over again, and it provided a connection to my past. At 16, I spent hours crafting a cushion embroidered an illustration from the book that was a childhood favorite. Sadly, the book was lost and I never thought I could get it again. Now, some 14 years since I last saw the book I can still visualize the pictures and hear the wonderful tale of Anansi the spider, his sons and the moon. I have just bought two copies, one for my niece and one for my two year old daughter. I absolutely cannot wait to read them again and again and pass this memorable story to a new generation.
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