West African Folktales

Collection of traditional folk tales introduces a host of interesting people and unusual animals — among them "The Cricket and the Toad," "The Tortoise and His Broken Shell," and "The Boy in the Drum."

Collection of West African folktales drawn from prose narratives, proverbs, riddles, and songs.

Readers everywhere and of any age will be both entertained and instructed by these timeless stories--more than 40 tales of human foibles, magic, and nature--representing fifteen countries, including Angola, Nigeria, Cameroon, Gambia, Liberia, Ghana, and Senegal.

Tricksters and animals play an important role in West African folklore with stories that entertain but serve a moral purpose. Traditions and local tales revel in the antics of these characters: from Nigeria to Benin, from the cunning spider god Anansi to Agemo, the chameleon spirit deity of the Yoruba people, animals teach humans to farm, to love, to survive and thrive, and offer inspiration for moral purpose. This new collection is created for the modern reader. FLAME TREE 451: From mystery to crime, supernatural to horror and myth, fantasy and science fiction, Flame Tree 451 offers a healthy diet of werewolves and robots, mad scientists, secret worlds, lost civilizations and escapist fantasies. Discover a storehouse of tales, ancient and modern gathered specifically for the reader of the fantastic.

Sun and Moon must leave their earthly home after Sun invites the Sea to visit.

Entertaining stories handed down from generation to generation among tribal cultures include "The Magic Crocodile," "The Hare and the Crownbird," "The Boy in the Drum," 15 others. 19 illustrations.

The Orphan Girl includes a fascinating introduction exploring the roots of the storytelling tradition in the history and culture of West Africa. Each country is represented by several stories, a map and brief information. To compile these tales, Kent State professor and storyteller Buchi Offodile searched villages for elders who remembered the old stories. These 41 tales are culled from a lifetime of listening, reading, and researching.

Thirty-six tales from Africa's Gold Coast, include several "Anansi tales" as well as stories about many African animals.