'Anansi and the Talking Melon' and 'Anansi and the Magic Stick'

The funny, accessible telling of Anansi Goes Fishing is a perfect companion to the first tale in this series of stories about the Trickster Spider. This time it's Turtle who outwits the lazy Anansi when the spider asks his friend to teach him how to fish. Hoping to con Turtle of his fish, instead Anansi gets stuck doing all the work, and though he appeals for justice from Judge Warthog, his reputation precedes him and he receives no sympathy. Fortunately, he does learn the skill of weaving in this sprightly tale sure to amuse the picture book crowd.

In the most recent book about the sly Spider, Anansi steals Hyena's magic cleaning stick, with disastrous results. The essence of the various animals' characters is brilliantly captured in this humorous narration and the lesson learned is as engaging as the story itself.