Come gather round, young and old, and hear these stories from Africa,
retold and illustrated by the incomparable Ashley Bryan. The fourteen
stories in this collection are some of his favorites, previously
published in The Ox of the Wonderful Horns; Beat the Story-Drum,
Pum-Pum (Coretta Scott King Award for Illustration); and Lion and the
Ostrich Chicks (Coretta Scott King Honor Book).
Retold with rich, musical narration, and illustrated with Mr. Bryan's
distinctive paintings, these tales are full of fun and magic and a few
lessons to be learned. They are tales of tricksters, chieftains, and
both wise and foolish creatures. You will learn why Frog and Snake never
play together, or why Bush Cow and Elephant are bad friends, or of the
problems that a husband has because he likes to count spoonfuls.
Although the stories come from many parts of Africa, they are full of
the universal human spirit, to be shared and treasured for every
generation, uh-huh.