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Why Leopard Has Spots: Dan Stories from Liberia
Discover why Leopard has spots, and what happens when Mrs. Chicken meets a hungry crocodile. These and other Dan tales are engagingly retold with dramatic black-and-white linoleum prints.
64 pages, Paperback
First published April 7, 1998
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March 16, 2022
Why Leopard Has Spots is a series of short Dan folktales from Liberia written by Won-Ldy Paye and Margaret H. Lippet. It is most appropriate for a third-grade through sixth-grade reader. The book includes six different folktales that are fun to read and teach beneficial lessons. Although I enjoyed each story, the book's structure and the information it provided made this book stand out. It has a substantial introduction that supports the stories and helps readers understand where the stories came from and their cultural significance. In addition, the book includes an 'About the Stories' chapter that gives further insight into each folktale, helping the reader deepen their understanding of the story's lesson and the Dan culture. There is also an excellent Glossary to reference and well-written About the Authors and Illustrator.
Although all the stories are lovely, the first two stood out as my favorites. The stories include animals showing emotions and feelings, teaching lessons through their actions and their consequences. 'Why Leopard Has Spots' teaches students the value of honesty and being a part of a community. "Mrs. Chicken and the Hungry Crocodile" is a fun story, without as clear of a lesson. However, in my opinion, it does teach us not to be vain and to be crafty in dangerous situations. The spider is a fairly consistent character within the stories, similar to Ashanti cultural stories in Ghana. You can make this connection to other folktales.
This book would be a delightful read-aloud for a classroom for many reasons. Not only does it teach life lessons in a fun and engaging way, but many of the stories are also relatively brief and could fit into a short period within your class schedule. Furthermore, the book gives such rich information about Liberia and the Dan culture, and it could support similarly learning more about other cultures. I highly recommend reading this book.
Although all the stories are lovely, the first two stood out as my favorites. The stories include animals showing emotions and feelings, teaching lessons through their actions and their consequences. 'Why Leopard Has Spots' teaches students the value of honesty and being a part of a community. "Mrs. Chicken and the Hungry Crocodile" is a fun story, without as clear of a lesson. However, in my opinion, it does teach us not to be vain and to be crafty in dangerous situations. The spider is a fairly consistent character within the stories, similar to Ashanti cultural stories in Ghana. You can make this connection to other folktales.
This book would be a delightful read-aloud for a classroom for many reasons. Not only does it teach life lessons in a fun and engaging way, but many of the stories are also relatively brief and could fit into a short period within your class schedule. Furthermore, the book gives such rich information about Liberia and the Dan culture, and it could support similarly learning more about other cultures. I highly recommend reading this book.
Displaying 1 of 1 review