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Head, Body, Legs: A Story from Liberia
This creation story from Liberia explains how Head became attached to a body and limbs. Discover how they all work together.
32 pages, Paperback
First published May 1, 2002
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125 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 51 reviews
June 18, 2012
At first it was just Head, he rolled everywhere because he had no legs, no arms, no body. One day Head rolled into a tree ripe with cherries, but he couldn’t get them because he was just a head. But then he looked up and saw two Arms, who couldn’t find the cherries because they had no eyes to see. Head and Arms attached themselves together and ate every cherry. Through similar incidents, Head meets Body and Legs. Although they initially have some trouble deciding how to combine (for a while the Head is attached to Body’s bellybutton), after some discussion and cooperation everyone slides into place.
The text, co-authored by Paye, a trained storyteller, is at it’s best when read aloud. There’s a wonderful sense of rhythm to the descriptive words and phrases. The gouache illustrations are painterly, using a bright and bold color palate and large shapes. I particularly like that the body parts are glossy black instead of pink or brown or white. In this way the body parts become universal, rather than depicting just one culture or race.
Full Review at Picture-Book-a-Day: http://picturebookaday.blogspot.com/2...
The text, co-authored by Paye, a trained storyteller, is at it’s best when read aloud. There’s a wonderful sense of rhythm to the descriptive words and phrases. The gouache illustrations are painterly, using a bright and bold color palate and large shapes. I particularly like that the body parts are glossy black instead of pink or brown or white. In this way the body parts become universal, rather than depicting just one culture or race.
Full Review at Picture-Book-a-Day: http://picturebookaday.blogspot.com/2...
June 23, 2020
This is a silly story. It's one of the few that Charles, the preschooler who hummed and wandered off during storytimes, would listen to...and ask to hear again!
February 21, 2022
Head is stuck eating things found on the ground. Arms and Body and Legs can't see.
Slowly the parts all join just in the right place so they can work together beautifully.
A fun folktale from Liberia.
Slowly the parts all join just in the right place so they can work together beautifully.
A fun folktale from Liberia.
March 3, 2012
Review
Strong, simple graphics, saturated colors and humorous text make Head, Body, Legs: A Story from Liberia, perfect for both library story-time and home consumption. Children age 3-7 will smile at the antics of the disjunct body parts. Head, in an example of concrete thinking young children will identify with, realizes that alone he’s consigned to roll along the ground, only eating things that he can reach with his tongue. His attempt to knock some cherries down to his level gives young children the opportunity to laugh knowingly at the predictable results. An encounter with Arms lets Head broaden his diet beyond mushrooms and grass and reinforces the message that cooperation helps us all. Body and Legs are recruited to join the team. The attempts of the antic extremities to form a useful union will likely provoke laughter and sideline coaching as children realize they are experts on where legs and arm should go. In the midst of the fun readers are prompted to think about the different strengths of their head, arms, body and legs and how the parts’ qualities determine their function.
Illustration
Julie Paschkis’s vibrant full-page gouaches are inspired by Asafo flags of the Fante people of Ghana. The pattered borders set off the folk art inspired images that have the impact of Matisse paper cutouts. Paschkis uses dotted lines to mimic the stitching original to the flags. These dotted lines add movement to the images and often combine with heads comic expressions to produce humorous visuals. The large simple shapes, strong colors and patterning readily convey the story’s action to a young audience.
Source Note
The brief, but well made source note places the story geographically and culturally. Won Lyd Head, Body, Legs embodies the strong storytelling culture of the Dan people and transcends ethnic boundaries, comically teaching the importance of cooperation.
Strong, simple graphics, saturated colors and humorous text make Head, Body, Legs: A Story from Liberia, perfect for both library story-time and home consumption. Children age 3-7 will smile at the antics of the disjunct body parts. Head, in an example of concrete thinking young children will identify with, realizes that alone he’s consigned to roll along the ground, only eating things that he can reach with his tongue. His attempt to knock some cherries down to his level gives young children the opportunity to laugh knowingly at the predictable results. An encounter with Arms lets Head broaden his diet beyond mushrooms and grass and reinforces the message that cooperation helps us all. Body and Legs are recruited to join the team. The attempts of the antic extremities to form a useful union will likely provoke laughter and sideline coaching as children realize they are experts on where legs and arm should go. In the midst of the fun readers are prompted to think about the different strengths of their head, arms, body and legs and how the parts’ qualities determine their function.
Illustration
Julie Paschkis’s vibrant full-page gouaches are inspired by Asafo flags of the Fante people of Ghana. The pattered borders set off the folk art inspired images that have the impact of Matisse paper cutouts. Paschkis uses dotted lines to mimic the stitching original to the flags. These dotted lines add movement to the images and often combine with heads comic expressions to produce humorous visuals. The large simple shapes, strong colors and patterning readily convey the story’s action to a young audience.
Source Note
The brief, but well made source note places the story geographically and culturally. Won Lyd Head, Body, Legs embodies the strong storytelling culture of the Dan people and transcends ethnic boundaries, comically teaching the importance of cooperation.
October 20, 2010
This African folkloric tale uses basic body parts to relay its message. The tale begins with the head all alone, which eventually adds on the Arms, Body, and Legs as they are strolling by and are either lost or need some assistance. The author, Won Ldy Paye, is a trained storyteller and is originally from northeastern Liberia. He does a splendid job taking a traditional tale and making it understandable and engaging for a young audience. This picture book is a good read for primary school students. The brightly colored painted illustrations are based on the flags of a tribe in Ghana. It would be a good picture book choice to introduce the concept of classroom community to the students or stories told in other cultures. The simple tale of how the body came to be emphasizes the worth of acting together and how much more can get accomplished by doing so, just as the head was able to eat cherries because of the arms, the body was able to see where it was going because of the head, and the legs knew where to go because of the head!
May 1, 2018
Awards Received: None
Appropriate grade level(s): Preschool to Second Grade
Summary: Head, Body, Legs is about a head who goes on a journey and finds a bunch of body parts. Together these body parts must work together to survive.
My review: Head, Body, Legs is a story about body parts working together to live life to the fullest. I do not think I will use this book in my classroom because it incorrectly shows where the body parts connect. Throughout most of the book the arms were on top of the head, which may confuse children rather than help them learn body parts.
1-2 Possible in-class uses: Head, Body, Legs can be used as an interactive story time because you can ask your students if the body parts are in the correct place and learn more about body parts. Before or after reading Head, Body, Legs, you can move around playing Simon Says or singing Head, Shoulder, Knees, and Toes.
Appropriate grade level(s): Preschool to Second Grade
Summary: Head, Body, Legs is about a head who goes on a journey and finds a bunch of body parts. Together these body parts must work together to survive.
My review: Head, Body, Legs is a story about body parts working together to live life to the fullest. I do not think I will use this book in my classroom because it incorrectly shows where the body parts connect. Throughout most of the book the arms were on top of the head, which may confuse children rather than help them learn body parts.
1-2 Possible in-class uses: Head, Body, Legs can be used as an interactive story time because you can ask your students if the body parts are in the correct place and learn more about body parts. Before or after reading Head, Body, Legs, you can move around playing Simon Says or singing Head, Shoulder, Knees, and Toes.
June 15, 2009
Head, Body, Legs: A Story from Liberia is a really unique story. It is a story that was pssed down through oral traditions. It is a very clever story that explains how the human body came to be. It starts off with a head rolling around, and then slowly different body parts are introduced and how they had to rearrange and shift as a new body part was introduced.
It is a really great story that shows the importance of working together. The story also teaches what working together in a group means. It has postive messages that are conveyed, but at the same time exposing students to a different kind of story. The pictures are fantastic as well!
It is a really great story that shows the importance of working together. The story also teaches what working together in a group means. It has postive messages that are conveyed, but at the same time exposing students to a different kind of story. The pictures are fantastic as well!
October 31, 2018
We are studying Africa in school and this book was on our book list as extra reading. This book comes from the Dan people of northeastern Liberia. The Dan people were known for their storytelling and passed down these stories from generation to generation.
Upon first reading this book, it seems a little strange. However, when you read this book in context to the underlying meaning, it makes a lot of sense and becomes a wonderful simple allegorical illustration for children! Make sure you read the authors note in the opening cover of this book.
I read this book to my 9 year old son and it was an interesting book to discuss!
Upon first reading this book, it seems a little strange. However, when you read this book in context to the underlying meaning, it makes a lot of sense and becomes a wonderful simple allegorical illustration for children! Make sure you read the authors note in the opening cover of this book.
I read this book to my 9 year old son and it was an interesting book to discuss!
September 26, 2017
My daughters and I love this book. At first page, I got freaked out a bit because it starts with Head all by itself. As we got through the pages, we laughed at how Head, Arms, and Body initially put themselves together (We, obviously know the end, here) to reach the mangoes on the tree. A great story, fun for kids. It's silly, and helps children understand why our bodies are the way they are and each part's purpose. ... Btw, the read this one numerous times, because my girls kept asking for it.
November 30, 2017
Traditional literature mixed with African folklore set in Liberia, this tales explains how head, arms, body, and legs were all separate entities but came together as one. Each piece explaining how it was dependent on the another in order to be more successful, which could also be interpreted as the main message from this story. Supporting illustrations provide humor as the four entities try out different positions until finally getting it right! A wonderful story with cultural perspective and an endearing message.
September 16, 2018
This was another beautiful illustrated book that caught every student's attention. The children immediately connected to theme of the book, that sometimes it takes cooperation with others to get our desired result. The pictures of how the head, body, and legs were put together early on in the story were hysterical and the children yelled out a huge yeah, when they were all put together in the correct order.
June 7, 2008
A Liberian creation story. This book illustrates how each part of the body is important and helps the others, which is also a metaphor for how an individual is important to the community.
It's a quick read for children, the writing is bold and clear. The illustrations are vivid.
I happened to have a mango in my fridge when I read this : )
It's a quick read for children, the writing is bold and clear. The illustrations are vivid.
I happened to have a mango in my fridge when I read this : )
January 28, 2010
Head, Body, Legs: A Story from Liberia depicts a traditional Liberian folk tale that has been retold by Won-Ldy Paye and Margaret H. Lippert. This books teaches the lesson of cooperation through the story of how the body was formed. The readers of this book may not get a real sense for life in Liberia but the pictures are a true represenation of Liberian artistry and its people.
June 23, 2011
The story of how head, body, arms and legs came together to form a person. There are some silly combinations along the way -- arms attached directly to the head like ears, then head attached to the body at the belly button -- that children make children laugh. The bold, bright pictures also lend themselves to holding up for storytime. Lots of child appeal here.
April 1, 2013
A Creation story from Liberia in which head can only do so much without the help of arms, body, and legs. Head is content with living on his own, but when he starts craving the types of foods that grow high up in the trees he welcomes the addition of arms, a body and legs.
Vibrant gouache artwork gives the story the look of a cave painting to great effect.
Vibrant gouache artwork gives the story the look of a cave painting to great effect.
April 22, 2013
This book can be used in many different ways. It was used in my second grade class during a study on folktales, this one coming from Africa. It can also be used as a problem and solution book as well as how to work together to solve a problem and reach a final goal. It was a very cute story of how the body was created!
July 26, 2008
I love the great warm-colored art and the story in this tale from Liberia. Would make a great flannel board story with its high contrast and sequential, building story of how bodies came to be how they are built. The authors and illustrator live in the Seattle area.
December 12, 2008
Great cumulative read-aloud to complement PreK-K human body unit. Bold graphics with details, e.g. a tiny spider, to notice on each page. All the body parts have to cooperate to function well (just like our classroom)!
June 9, 2009
This is an wonderfully nonsensical traditional tale from Liberia adapted and re-told, well written, with illustrations that perfectly match, like the story itself each element comes together to make a tremendous book.
January 19, 2011
I feel like a classmate did this in one of my MLS classes. Either way, using the picture book, making a flannel board or a straight traditional tale this one would be tons of fun. Lots of actions for kids to imitate and slightly silly when Head is still figuring out where to put everyone.
August 3, 2011
A folktale from Liberia about the different body parts that come together to help one another out. Easy to act out with a felt set (@SC)and make the kids help out to put the body back together.
used story time 7/2011 great
used story time 7/2011 great
August 30, 2011
This book would only be entertaining for young elementary students,no older than first or second grade. It's a story about the parts of the body. It would be fun to read before having students make a craft where they assemble the parts of a scarecrow.
September 28, 2011
I would introduce the parts of the body with this book, and it would be a good way to introduce liberia as a country. Even if the kids are young extra information is always good even if it doesn't apply. You could even connect this to the heads, shoulders, knees, and toes song.
March 2, 2015
My students and I enjoyed this Liberian folk tale. Head rolls around everywhere, eating only what he can lap up from the ground, until he meets arms. The body parts work together to achieve a common goal.
March 21, 2018
Personally, I did not know how to feel while reading this book. It is a silly book that showed how your major body parts work together. I think it would be a good book to use to introduce each body part to children. It is a simple easy read book.
April 9, 2008
Sort of silly sory of how your major body parts got together one day in order to get their eat on.
April 15, 2009
Aside from the high silliness factor, this funny read-aloud reinforces the idea that more is accomplished when all factions work toward the same goal.
August 28, 2009
This was an awesome folk tale focused on the origination of the body.
March 16, 2011
I really enjoyed this story, and think it would make a good flannel
May 9, 2011
This is a great fable about how the body came together. I want to make felt cut outs of the illustrations so the children can tell the story at the felt board.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 51 reviews