[dropcap custom_class=”normal”]I[/dropcap]f you’re looking for a new story to share with your kids, consider Anansi folktales.
Anansi is an African trickster god who causes mischief but relies on his wits to escape sticky situations. He is sometimes considered the creator of the world, but many regard him as keeper of stories. In his folktales, he acts as an intermediary between humans and the divine, and is thought to be the son of the African sky god, Nyame.
Anansi stories have been told across the African diaspora for years. Anansi originated in West Africa among the Ashanti people in Ghana, where his stories were passed down orally. When the slave trade began, Anansi travelled the Atlantic with the captives, who took his stories with them to the Caribbean.
The following are children books in which Anansi appears as a central character:
Anancy Mek It by Peter-Paul Zahl
A collection of children’s stories based on the folklore character, Anansi, that both children and adults will enjoy. Though some parts are written in Jamaican patois, the stories are easy to understand. They are humorous and entertaining and are perfect bedtime reads.
Anancy and Friends and Anancy’s African Adventures by Beulah Richmond
Another collection of Anansi stories for young readers, Anancy and Friends, and its sequel, Anancy’s African Adventures, are fun stories that follow the mythical character on various adventures.
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