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Ananse's Feast: An Ashanti Tale
When clever spider Ananse invites Akye the turtle to dine with him, Akye is tricked out of getting a single bite of his meal, but he gets his revenge when he in turn prepares a splendid meal for Ananse and then sends him home hungry.
31 pages, Hardcover
First published April 17, 1997
1 person is currently reading
83 people want to read
About the author
Tololwa M. Mollel
24 books12 followersEducation: University of Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania, BA, literature and theater, 1972; University of Alberta, Canada, MA, drama, 1979, PhD, drama, 2001-.
Memberships: Canadian Society of Children's Authors, Illustrators, and Performers; Society of Children's Book Writers; Writers Guild of Alberta; Alberta Legion of Encouraging Storytelling.
Career
University lecturer, director of children's theater and actor in Tanzania, 1979-86; writer, storyteller and lecturer in Canada, 1986-; Edmonton Public Library, writer-in-residence, 2000-.
Life's Work
In many modern cultures, the practice of handing down history through the oral and pictorial traditions of storytelling is giving way to the flashy special effects of Hollywood movies, the lessons learned in television sitcoms, or the unsubstantiated truths that can be downloaded from the Internet. Numerous old folk and native stories have been lost as popular culture has failed to integrate them into modern entertainment. However, several artists and authors have taken it upon themselves to preserve these stories and rejuvenate them for contemporary young audiences, including children's storybook author Tololwa Mollel. Since 1992 Mollel has been reinventing African tribal tales and creating original stories that he hopes will teach children about varying cultural backgrounds as well as focusing thematically on traditional morals and values. As Mollel said in an on-line Kids Care Club interview, "I think folklore plays a role in providing children as they grow a basic literary vocabulary and means with which to perceive the world and human behavior. It also provides them entertainment and a means of socializing them into the mores and values of the community."
Even though Mollel now makes his home in Canada, he was born in the Arusha region of Tanzania on June 25, 1952, to Loilangisho and Saraa (Eleiser) Mollel. Early in his life, Mollel was sent to live with his grandparents who tended a coffee farm in northern Tanzania. It was here that he was introduced to two very important influences, storytelling and religion. His grandparents made sure that Mollel and the other children living with them had access and constant exposure to biblical stories in order to foster a love of literature and Christian values. They also very heavily valued education and reading. In an article on Mollel on the University of Alberta website, it stated that Mollel would run home from school, "to share the thing he had read at school. Mollel's grandfather would listen intently, probing for details." Mollel says that it was these first conversations with his grandfather that sparked within him a "love of storytelling that has never left."
First Book Retold Maasai Venus Story
Mollel attended the University of Dar-es-Salaam in Tanzania to pursue a bachelor's degree in literature in theater. He accomplished this goal in 1972 and proceeded to further his education by attending the University of Alberta in Canada. Mollel decided to focus on his talents in the fields of theater and performance, and received his masters degree in drama in 1979. Afterward he returned to Tanzania and was employed as a university lecturer in the field of drama. He was also a director and actor at a children's theater. As Mollel continued to work and produce plays, he lived meagerly and saved his earnings in the hopes of returning to Canada. It would take him seven years, but finally in 1986, Mollel returned to Canada, this time not as a student but as an emigrant. He continued to lecture in Edmonton, Canada to make ends meet, but fostered his love of storytelling that he had been able to express while working in the Tanzanian children's theater. In the late 1980s, he turned to writing as an outlet, and wrote a few short stories for children that were published by various magazines.
Then, in 1991, Mollel published his first major children's book, The Orphan Boy. The Orphan Boy embodies an old folktale about the planet
Memberships: Canadian Society of Children's Authors, Illustrators, and Performers; Society of Children's Book Writers; Writers Guild of Alberta; Alberta Legion of Encouraging Storytelling.
Career
University lecturer, director of children's theater and actor in Tanzania, 1979-86; writer, storyteller and lecturer in Canada, 1986-; Edmonton Public Library, writer-in-residence, 2000-.
Life's Work
In many modern cultures, the practice of handing down history through the oral and pictorial traditions of storytelling is giving way to the flashy special effects of Hollywood movies, the lessons learned in television sitcoms, or the unsubstantiated truths that can be downloaded from the Internet. Numerous old folk and native stories have been lost as popular culture has failed to integrate them into modern entertainment. However, several artists and authors have taken it upon themselves to preserve these stories and rejuvenate them for contemporary young audiences, including children's storybook author Tololwa Mollel. Since 1992 Mollel has been reinventing African tribal tales and creating original stories that he hopes will teach children about varying cultural backgrounds as well as focusing thematically on traditional morals and values. As Mollel said in an on-line Kids Care Club interview, "I think folklore plays a role in providing children as they grow a basic literary vocabulary and means with which to perceive the world and human behavior. It also provides them entertainment and a means of socializing them into the mores and values of the community."
Even though Mollel now makes his home in Canada, he was born in the Arusha region of Tanzania on June 25, 1952, to Loilangisho and Saraa (Eleiser) Mollel. Early in his life, Mollel was sent to live with his grandparents who tended a coffee farm in northern Tanzania. It was here that he was introduced to two very important influences, storytelling and religion. His grandparents made sure that Mollel and the other children living with them had access and constant exposure to biblical stories in order to foster a love of literature and Christian values. They also very heavily valued education and reading. In an article on Mollel on the University of Alberta website, it stated that Mollel would run home from school, "to share the thing he had read at school. Mollel's grandfather would listen intently, probing for details." Mollel says that it was these first conversations with his grandfather that sparked within him a "love of storytelling that has never left."
First Book Retold Maasai Venus Story
Mollel attended the University of Dar-es-Salaam in Tanzania to pursue a bachelor's degree in literature in theater. He accomplished this goal in 1972 and proceeded to further his education by attending the University of Alberta in Canada. Mollel decided to focus on his talents in the fields of theater and performance, and received his masters degree in drama in 1979. Afterward he returned to Tanzania and was employed as a university lecturer in the field of drama. He was also a director and actor at a children's theater. As Mollel continued to work and produce plays, he lived meagerly and saved his earnings in the hopes of returning to Canada. It would take him seven years, but finally in 1986, Mollel returned to Canada, this time not as a student but as an emigrant. He continued to lecture in Edmonton, Canada to make ends meet, but fostered his love of storytelling that he had been able to express while working in the Tanzanian children's theater. In the late 1980s, he turned to writing as an outlet, and wrote a few short stories for children that were published by various magazines.
Then, in 1991, Mollel published his first major children's book, The Orphan Boy. The Orphan Boy embodies an old folktale about the planet
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
February 24, 2019
Ananse at his ananse best
July 4, 2011
Stunning pictures, whimsical characters and playful text make this a terrific edition of the Anansi stories. In this one, Ananse lives up to his notoriety as a mischevious trickster, throwing Akye the Turtle for a loop while he swipes the food promised to his guest. One gets a sense of the culture and the tradition of the Ashanti in this version, with Ananse learning lessons in the end. Also worth noting is that Ananse's colors hearken back to the West African palette, almost insisting upon celebrating vitality in the midst of the parched desert; Ananse remains very much a likable rascal who makes you wonder just how much more he is going to get away with before he gets caught. Children will love this story, which is another nice introduction to West African folklore.
July 11, 2012
Sketchy but colorful illustrations, uses appropriate African words. Hungry (but somehow hard-working?) Spider Ananse tricks his friend so he doesn't have to share, but is tricked in return by being unable to remain at his friend's home for a feast later. Ananse is definitely a tricky trickster, but gets comeuppance. Short but helpful author's note on Ashanti culture.
May 28, 2017
Another "karma...what goes around, definitely comes around". Drought season has hit the land of Ashanti: the river is parched, the crops have dried and there is too much sun shining. Fortunately, Ananse has stocked up his pantry and has plenty to share. At least that is what his friend Akye the turtle thinks Ananse will be willing to do. After smelling the aroma coming from Ananse's house, Akye invites himself to dinner. But Ananse is not willing to share and uses trickery to encourage Akye to leave and he never gets to enjoy the feast. "Karma"- later it's Akyes' festive time and Ananse is starving. What do you think Akye did?
This was truly a well lesson learned event and an "aw, how you like me know" moment of a good read. No one should ever mistreat another person because you never know when you might need them in return.
This was truly a well lesson learned event and an "aw, how you like me know" moment of a good read. No one should ever mistreat another person because you never know when you might need them in return.
Read
September 9, 2017I owned
Anansi and the Moss-Covered Rock
as a child, so it was neat to have such a playfully illustrated Ananse in this picturebook (as opposed to the more realistic one in Janet Stevens' illustrations).
December 17, 2021
This book was read as part of our study of ancient Africa. Ananse is clever, but often getting into trouble!
November 2, 2016
Title: Ananse’s Feast
Author: Tololwa M. Mollel
Illustrator: Andrew Glass
Genre: Non-European folktale
Theme: Trickster/ clever character outwits the other character
Opening line:
The earth was hot and barren and no one had much to eat, except Ananse the Spider.
Brief book summary: All of the animals were hungry and Ananse the spider is the only one who has food stored away. Ananse’s friend Akye smells the food and ends up finding Ananse at his house. Ananse invites Akye in but keeps telling Akye he must wash his hands before he can eat anything. Ananse eventually eats all the food, but Akye acts nicely about it. Then Ananse tries to eat at Akye’s house and Akye prevents him from eating his food too. The book ends with Akye explaining how amazing his feast was even though Ananse was left hungry. Akye tricked Ananse, just like Ananse tricked him in the beginning.
Professional Recommendation/ Review #1: CLCD- Carolyn Phelan (Booklist, April 15, 1997 (Vol. 93, No. 16) When Akye the turtle knocks on his door, Ananse feels obliged to invite him to share his meal, but the spider tricks his friend into leaving the table several times, during which Ananse eats all the food. Soon the turtle turns the tables on his friend by inviting Ananse to a feast at the bottom of the river. Ananse can stay under water only by putting pebbles in the pockets of his robe. When Akye insists that his guest remove the robe for courtesy, Ananse floats up and away from the beautiful food. The turtle's revenge is complete (and subtle, and sweet). Varied in composition and bright with layers of color, the oil-and-colored-pencil artwork captures the actions, reactions, and emotions of the two main characters with a great sense of playfulness and humor. With its well-cadenced text and witty, colorful illustrations, this picture book makes a rewarding choice for reading aloud.
Professional Recommendation/ Review #2: Uma Krishnaswami (Children's Literature) Ananse is of course familiar to many of today's young readers, and this is a trickster tale offering deftly sketched characters and a clever plot. You know when Akye the Turtle gives thanks and hopes he'll be able to repay Ananse, that the wily spider will get his comeuppance. He does, and the story makes us reflect on guests and hosts and the role of greed in breaking friendships. Brightly illustrated in oil and colored pencil. Author's note included.
Response to two professional reviews: I agree with the second review that states that due to this being a story about Ananse it requires there to be some sort of cleverness in the plot. Both reviews also give an accurate depiction of the plot of the story and materials used to create the illustrations. This book definitely deserved positive reviews as it is a simple enough book to read that easily gets a lesson across to the reader.
Evaluation of literary elements: The author includes repetition in the text throughout the book with the chant Akye says every time he washes his hands and his stomach growls. Every time Ananse tries to swim underwater he also says a repeated phrase “Bul bul bul bul.” The illustrator used very bright oil colors to make the pictures stand out.
Consideration of instructional application: I would use this book for a multicultural unit in my classroom on teaching kids about other cultures. This book fits into that category because it is culturally conscious as it captures characteristics of African culture. With this book you could also talk about the way Ananse tricks his friend and how this is something friends shouldn’t do to each other. If you were using this book in the multicultural unit at the beginning of the year you could tie in both of these lessons at once because kids should recognize that they need to treat everyone in the classroom with respect. This is something they should learn at the beginning of the year rather than the middle of the year.
Author: Tololwa M. Mollel
Illustrator: Andrew Glass
Genre: Non-European folktale
Theme: Trickster/ clever character outwits the other character
Opening line:
The earth was hot and barren and no one had much to eat, except Ananse the Spider.
Brief book summary: All of the animals were hungry and Ananse the spider is the only one who has food stored away. Ananse’s friend Akye smells the food and ends up finding Ananse at his house. Ananse invites Akye in but keeps telling Akye he must wash his hands before he can eat anything. Ananse eventually eats all the food, but Akye acts nicely about it. Then Ananse tries to eat at Akye’s house and Akye prevents him from eating his food too. The book ends with Akye explaining how amazing his feast was even though Ananse was left hungry. Akye tricked Ananse, just like Ananse tricked him in the beginning.
Professional Recommendation/ Review #1: CLCD- Carolyn Phelan (Booklist, April 15, 1997 (Vol. 93, No. 16) When Akye the turtle knocks on his door, Ananse feels obliged to invite him to share his meal, but the spider tricks his friend into leaving the table several times, during which Ananse eats all the food. Soon the turtle turns the tables on his friend by inviting Ananse to a feast at the bottom of the river. Ananse can stay under water only by putting pebbles in the pockets of his robe. When Akye insists that his guest remove the robe for courtesy, Ananse floats up and away from the beautiful food. The turtle's revenge is complete (and subtle, and sweet). Varied in composition and bright with layers of color, the oil-and-colored-pencil artwork captures the actions, reactions, and emotions of the two main characters with a great sense of playfulness and humor. With its well-cadenced text and witty, colorful illustrations, this picture book makes a rewarding choice for reading aloud.
Professional Recommendation/ Review #2: Uma Krishnaswami (Children's Literature) Ananse is of course familiar to many of today's young readers, and this is a trickster tale offering deftly sketched characters and a clever plot. You know when Akye the Turtle gives thanks and hopes he'll be able to repay Ananse, that the wily spider will get his comeuppance. He does, and the story makes us reflect on guests and hosts and the role of greed in breaking friendships. Brightly illustrated in oil and colored pencil. Author's note included.
Response to two professional reviews: I agree with the second review that states that due to this being a story about Ananse it requires there to be some sort of cleverness in the plot. Both reviews also give an accurate depiction of the plot of the story and materials used to create the illustrations. This book definitely deserved positive reviews as it is a simple enough book to read that easily gets a lesson across to the reader.
Evaluation of literary elements: The author includes repetition in the text throughout the book with the chant Akye says every time he washes his hands and his stomach growls. Every time Ananse tries to swim underwater he also says a repeated phrase “Bul bul bul bul.” The illustrator used very bright oil colors to make the pictures stand out.
Consideration of instructional application: I would use this book for a multicultural unit in my classroom on teaching kids about other cultures. This book fits into that category because it is culturally conscious as it captures characteristics of African culture. With this book you could also talk about the way Ananse tricks his friend and how this is something friends shouldn’t do to each other. If you were using this book in the multicultural unit at the beginning of the year you could tie in both of these lessons at once because kids should recognize that they need to treat everyone in the classroom with respect. This is something they should learn at the beginning of the year rather than the middle of the year.
April 15, 2015
Personal reaction- I really enjoyed this tale because of the way the Akye the turtle used Ananse own scheming trick against her. Ananse’s Feast is about a cleaver spider Ananse who outwits her friend out of selfish motives. However the turtle (Ananse friend) was able to figure out Ananse scheme and was played her in her own game.
Purpose
Read Aloud- This book could be used in a social studies class to discuss different folk tales. It is a great way to expose American children to other cultures because it incorporates stories from a different ethnic group. Anansi is a West African god who takes the shape of a spider and is the spirit of all knowledge.
Independent reading- I think the first through fourth graders will love this book. Not only is the plot humorous but also will catch the reader’s eye with its comic illustrations. The illustrator chose colors that are fun and bright and brings the characters to life with their facial expressions.
Literary Elements- I think the setting would be good to discuss in this
book. Why it was hard for Ananse to go eat at Akye's house was because Akye lived underwater verses on the land. When the setting changed so did the conflict. In this book the setting worked as the protagonist.
Purpose
Read Aloud- This book could be used in a social studies class to discuss different folk tales. It is a great way to expose American children to other cultures because it incorporates stories from a different ethnic group. Anansi is a West African god who takes the shape of a spider and is the spirit of all knowledge.
Independent reading- I think the first through fourth graders will love this book. Not only is the plot humorous but also will catch the reader’s eye with its comic illustrations. The illustrator chose colors that are fun and bright and brings the characters to life with their facial expressions.
Literary Elements- I think the setting would be good to discuss in this
book. Why it was hard for Ananse to go eat at Akye's house was because Akye lived underwater verses on the land. When the setting changed so did the conflict. In this book the setting worked as the protagonist.
July 19, 2010
Students will love the pictures and story behind this book. I read it with my middle school students in Dr. Yarbrough’s class on the last day and they loved it. I gave them many choices and this was the book they wanted to read. I would use this book in a social studies class to discuss different folktales. These stories are based off of traditional African stories. There are many different versions, which students could compare and contrast. Overall, I think these are a great way to hook students because Ananse is a trickster and kids love seeing what he does next!
September 22, 2013
This is a good moral tale, with the spider getting exactly what he deserves in a way that teaches him the consequences of his actions. It's a great model for recreating lessons for our children! I love that this is based on folk tales of ethnic groups in Ghana, so American children get exposure to other cultures. The illustrations are colorful and vivid, while being organic and almost childlike in their technique. My only complaint is that the two characters are male, which seems to be the status quo for virtually every book of fables in any culture.
August 19, 2015
Ananse tricks his friend Akye out of sharing a meal that he wants all for himself. Later Akye turns the tables on him by preventing Ananse from sharing a meal with him. It's a trickster tale with what could be summed up as the golden rule thrown as a message. It's nicely done. Ananse tales are plentiful, of course, but this one does the job in a way that kids will be able to grasp and it introduces some of the African culture these tales come from. Nicely done.
November 15, 2012
We love Anansi tales and found this one at our local library. We hadn't heard this particular story before, but we've read similar tales.
The story is entertaining and the illustrations are colorful and fun. We like seeing Anansi being a trickster, but we also appreciated that he got his comeuppance, too. We enjoyed reading this story together.
The story is entertaining and the illustrations are colorful and fun. We like seeing Anansi being a trickster, but we also appreciated that he got his comeuppance, too. We enjoyed reading this story together.
March 22, 2010
There is a famine in the land and Ananse has been stocking his food. When he decides to make a feast, Akye the turtle, wanders by and wants to join. Ananse finds a way to trick Akye and greedily eats all the food himself. Tale of greed, trickery, and sharing.
October 27, 2012
This is an illustrated version of Ananse and the Turtle (told in The Story of the World vol. 1). Thumbs up: pronunciation guide in the back with the meanings of the Maasai expressions. Thumbs down: illustrations.
June 22, 2012
another ananse story
Read
November 9, 2013NF 398.2452 Moll
April 28, 2015
Ananse's Feast: An Ashanti Tale
Mollel, Tololwa M.
another ananse story
Mollel, Tololwa M.
another ananse story
March 20, 2016
Another tale of Ananse in which the trickster finds that karma comes around full circle.
March 25, 2017
Anansi is up to his tricks, but turtle has a trick in mind as well. Source notes to origins of tale included.
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews