The Adventures of Spider: West African Folktales

by Joyce Cooper Arkhurst, Jerry Pinkney

Presents six tales about Spider, including:
How Spider Got a Thin Waist; Why Spider Lives in Ceilings; How Spider Got a Bald Head; How Spider Helped a Fisherman; Why Spiders Live in Dark Corners; How the World God Wisdom

Genres: Africa, Chapter Books, Childrens, Folklore, Short Stories, Humor, Folk Tales

64 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1964

Reviews

[Abigail · Rating 3 out of 5]

I can't recall the first time I heard or read a story about Anansi - the trickster-spider whose many misadventures feature so prominently in West African folklore - but I must have been fairly young, as I seem always to have known about him. I was quite struck, consequently, by an anonymous online review of Joyce Cooper Arkhurst's 1964 The Adventures of Spider, which maintains that this collection, and its author, are responsible for popularizing the spider-hero in the United States. I have no idea whether that is true, but my curiosity was piqued, and when I saw that this was also one of five-time Caldecott Honor-recipient Jerry Pinkney's first efforts, I knew I had to seek it out.

Trained as a librarian, Ms. Arkhurst was apparently a storyteller at the New York Public Library, something which really comes through in her engaging retelling of these six stories. Here the reader will discover How Spider Got a Thin Waist, as a consequence of his greedy desire to eat two dinners, as well as Why Spider Lives in Ceilings, after a run-in with Leopard. Other selections include: How Spider Got a Bald Head, in which Spider's attempt to hide some baked beans in his hat leads to unexpected disaster; How Spider Helped a Fisherman, a tale in which the trickster is tricked (also retold by Verna Aardema in her picture-book, Anansi Finds a Fool: An Ashanti Tale ); and Why Spiders Live in Dark Corners, which relates the tale of how Spider faked his own death. Finally, in How the World Got Wisdom, the reader will learn of Spider's role in (accidentally) disseminating good sense.

The humor of these tales is readily apparent, as is the teller's fondness for them. Pinkney's illustrations are somewhat crude, in comparison to his later work, but his fans will undoubtedly be interested to see how his style and skill have evolved. All in all, a lovely little collection - I will definitely be reading the follow-up, More Adventures of Spider !

[Sammy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very cute book, easy to read and easy for any young children to enjoy about storytelling. I would recommend for younger children definitely!

[Emily M · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was my childhood introduction to the West African trickster Anansi (here just called "spider", because that's what he is)...and apparently I'm not the only one! Arkhurst, a Black writer and librarian, apparently heard these tales on a visit to Ghana and the book that resulted was many Americans' first Anansi experience. Later editions have been released with more realistic spider illustrations, but I quite like the more stylized smiley-faced little guy that we get in the 1964 version.

Spider in these stories ends up playing himself as often as not - see "How Spider got a thin waist" and "Why spider has a bald head" - often in quite funny ways, which is why I've shelved this as "humor". (Though I probably should add a "folktales" category or something). Sometimes Spider ends up doing some good, as when he accidentally helps a fisherman, or when he spread the wisdom he got from Sky God Nyame all over the world because he broke the pot it was in!

"Why spiders live in dark corners" is likely the origin of the story of Brer Rabbit and the tar baby (which has a bad reputation due to Disney's 'Song of the South' but IS a genuine Black American folktale; see The Days When the Animals Talked: Black American Folktales and How They Came to Be). In this version, Spider plays dead and tells his wife to bury him in the tomato patch so that he can eat all the best vegetables without being asked to help! She realizes someone has been stealing them, and builds a scarecrow and covers it in sticky wax. Spider tries to fight the 'stranger', but when he hits it his hands and feet get stuck. His wife drags him in front of the judge, and everyone in the village made fun of him. So he ran off to hide in a dark corner and has been there to this day. Excellent work with the free-loading husband, Mrs. Spider!

[Adam Jasion · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Adventures Of Spider: West African Folktales as retold by Joyce Cooper Arkhurst and illustrated by Jerry Pinkney is a wonderful book of folktales that bring the culture and values of Africa to the reader in a simple yet charming fashion. The collection includes 6 folktales that star Spider, a lazy, yet clever, spider that is always searching for the next easy meal. The stories are told in a simple language that is easy enough for young children to understand but contains powerful messages of community, integrity, and wit. I would recommend this book as a read aloud in 2nd grade through 4th grade classrooms. One lesson that could be derived from the collection is to focus on the culture, specifically the cultural values, of the West African people. These stories are an excellent example of the presence of the culture of the people. Each tale is rich with examples of how West Africans value hard work, community, and integrity. Another lesson could be used in the younger classrooms is to discuss the use of personification. Spider is an actual spider, yet displays many human characteristics and actions in each story. The students could point out examples of how the spider is acting like a person in each story.

[La Keesha · Rating 4 out of 5]

If your children don't know the Spider; well they should. I have always loved these stories in all of their many forms. Doesn't every kid want to know how Spider got a bald head and a skinny waist? The stories are primarily from Liberia and Ghana and these retellings are a little watered down for my taste but the ultimate judge is my daughter and she got a kick out of them. The language was simple but not simplistic and she had not trouble reading it herself or picking out the moral of each story when I read them to her. The colors are bright, the characters quirky and funny and the book itself was just the right size for her little hands. There are other, more detailed and more comprehensive collections that have more of the sound of Africa to them (something about the rhythm of the words) but this is a solid starting point.

[Allison Hamann · Rating 3 out of 5]

Book Review by MT

The adventures of Spider by Joyce cooper arkhurst


The adventures of spider by Joyce cooper arkhurst, is a west african folktale that is about a spider that is full of mischief, but loved by everyone.I would recommend this book with caution because spider is greedy, but it is a funny story.

It is a weird, but funny story because Spider gets bald because he puts beans on his head and now he lives in the grass.Spider gets a thin waist because he got stuck in two ropes.

Spider is greedy, but funny.He accidentally helped a fisherman to prove that he will not get tired.He only got 4 coins because of the 4 days he worked.Spider was greedy because he ate all the best yams and tomatoes.

Even though i would recommend this,the character in this story is greedy.Spider was greedy, so do not be the same.

[Bruce · Rating 4 out of 5]

Arkhurst’s retelling of these six West African folktales about Anansi the trickster spider. While Anansi isn’t mentioned by name, in the book he’s just Spider, one of the six tales, “Why spiders live in dark corners,” is the original of what American readers in 1964 may only have known through Joel Chandler Harris’s 1884 version as told by his character Uncle Remus; it’s the African American tale of Brer Rabbit and the tar baby. This 1992 paperback reprint of the book first published in 1964 includes the first published book illustrated by Jerry Pinkney, who would go on to win the Caldecott Medal in 2010 for his wordless retelling of Aesop’s fable of The Lion and the Mouse.

[Jeanette Rupel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked this book up looking for more myths and folktales for my high school freshman classes. I'm trying to expose my students to a variety of cultures and ideas, and if I need to give them easy reading to do so, so be it. I ended up reading the book to my 7 year old. He loved it and wanted to hear another story and another and mama, just one more, please. I think it's a nice collection of stories. It's an easy read. It captures the essence of Anansi. These are fun stories. I think any child or child-at-heart would enjoy them.

[Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think I enjoyed this book more because it made Neil Gaiman's Anansi Boys make more sense. I read that book first before American Gods, and didn't really "get it." After reading American Gods and Norse Mythology by Gaiman and now this book of West African Folktales based on the mythology of Anansi, Gaiman's other book makes more sense. I am going to read it again with this new context.

[Gina · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this. Trickster tales can often be frustrating, but there is a gentleness and affection with the telling here.

This is probably the earliest of Pinkney's illustrations that I have ever seen, and very different from his later style, reminding me of Drummer Hoff, but probably just being appropriate for the 60s.

[Julia Garcia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I first read this book ages ago when I was small. I love the way it's told in an old folklore way. It has colorful pictures and several short stories that explain things like "why Spider is bald" and "how the world got wisdom ". These stories are so fun and colorful!

[Albana Bregu · Rating 4 out of 5]

A book about a mischievous and clever spider. It will entertain readers through tales on how Spider on how spider got a thin Waist, why Spider lives in ceilings, how spider got a bald head, how spider helped a fishermen, why Spiders live in dark corners, and how the world got wisdom.

[Rita · Rating 4 out of 5]

1964

Really lovely stories! for young children

No idea where I picked up this book, quite a long time ago.
Now that I [just last summer] learned about the illustrator Jerry Pinkney I see he as a young man illustrated this book!
The blurb says about Arkhurst: born in Washington state, a librarian, visited Liberia and Ghana ['where my ancestors came from'] and heard versions of these stories in those countries.

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute, read at bedtime with my 10 year old. The last one I didn't like as much but the others were fun to read.

[Lauren Hicks]

Read with Addie- I had to cover the picture of the spider on every page lol!

[Emily Dell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Genre: Traditional Fantasy
Grade Level: Primary

This book is so unique and different from Western culture and I adored that! The lessons that are taught throughout this book are all very important in my mind, and I think would be important to students as well. I also really enjoyed the illustrations.

[Rebeca · Rating 5 out of 5]

i like this story

[Kelsey · Rating 5 out of 5]

In this collection of folktales, Spider always seems to be getting himself into trouble. Mischievous and lazy, Spider must think up plans quickly to survive.

This book would be appropriate to share as a read aloud or with independent readers between six and eight years old. Readers will appreciate the humor in Spider's character as it develops through the collection. Readers that enjoy folktales and humorous stories may enjoy this collection. It would be appropriate for teaching children about genre and developing vocabulary and narrative skills.

[Toby]

I think this book is a cute book and the pictures are funny, it is good for younger children to read. This book have 6 little funny spider, sometimes they are smart, tricky and lazy. When they are good they are full of fun. I would recommend this book to younger children.

[Maura · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute stories - but I'm not a fan of spiders. I'm not sure why my stepmother bought this for my baby brothers because she doesn't like spiders either. Why she'd want a children's book full of them I'll never know. I do like that it brought in another culture's folktales though.

[Clare · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read this last year as part of the in2books program. My "pen pal" picked it (or his/her teacher.) Good program; wish I had done it this year.

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderful re-tellings of six West African Folktales. My favorites were How Spider Got a Thin Waist and How Spider Got a Bald Head.

[Debra · Rating 5 out of 5]

West African Folk tale about how the spider became like he is

Great for classroom discussions of folk tales

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

Used this in a unit on Anansi tales with my 3rd graders and they really enjoyed listening to the stories about Spider.

[Fishface · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great story about a spider who fakes his own death and arranges to be buried next to the family vegetable garden so he can swipe all the best produce.

[Demaira Reid]

i love it so much

[Paula · Rating 4 out of 5]

Illustrations by Jerry Pinkney, a favorite illustrator of mine.

[Barbara Brien · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting compilation of folk tales from West Africa.