As the mom of two boys and auntie to numerous nieces and nephew (biological and otherwise), I’m always on the lookout for books, toys, events and activities that the kids I care about may be interested in or can benefit from. So I was thrilled to hear that award winning Caribbean-American blogger Eva Green Wilson of SocaMom.com has started a series of children’s books featuring the classic character of Anancy. The first book is titled Anancy’s Family Reunion:
For those who don’t know, Anancy the trickster (also written as Anansi, Nanzi, Kwaku or Ananse) is a West African God who often takes the shape of a spider and is considered to be the god of all stories. Anancy is an Akan word meaning spider and his stories are believed to have originated with the Ashanti people of Ghana. As the slave trade brought Africans to the Caribbean, so it also brought the tales of Anancy. Similar to Bre’r Rabbit of American Southern folktales, Anancy is a smart and clever spider who could trick those in power to get what he wanted.
In Eva’s reboot of the tale, which is beautifully illustrated by Charles Metze III, we find that Anancy has been up to his usual tricks, scheming his neighbors out of their food and money. But this time he crosses the line and folks have had enough. He’s is banished from his homeland of Jamaica and finds refuge in Trinidad and Tobago. Miraculously, Anancy changes his name, renounces his trickster ways and becomes a solid member of the community.
Anancy has finally learned his lesson. Or has he? I won’t give away the story, but suffice it say that once Anancy’s grandfather, back in Jamaica, launches a search for his lost grandson, we find that old habits do indeed die hard.
I found the story to be fun and engaging. It is clearly written at a level accessible to readers with a 3rd grade reading level in the U.S. or year 4 in the U.K. and above. My youngest son (13 yrs old) read the book and declared it a little too ‘kiddie’ for him but thought it was a great story and would make a good gift for his younger cousins. And for those too young to read the book themselves, it’s an excellent book for parents to read to their child. Reading the story together as your child soaks in the fun illustrations would be a great addition to your bedtime routine.
Caribbean and Caribbean-American parents and children will be happy to find familiar references to our culture throughout the book. Dredlocs, mangos, Carnival, oxtails, mauby and the term Tantie all popped up and made me smile each time as I came across them. It’s important that our kids, especially those who are 1st and 2nd generation Caribbean-Americans (and beyond) stay familiar with their heritage. And Anancy’s Family Reunion fits that bill in a fun way.
But you don’t have to already be familiar with Anancy tales to enjoy this book. I myself only learned of Anancy in college and hadn’t really stayed connected to the tales or shared them with my kids. But regardless, both I and my son both enjoyed the book. I highly recommend this book for you and your child. It’s smartly written with engaging illustrations that younger kids in particular will love. I look forward to reading the rest of the series.
Click here to get your own copy of Anancy’s Family Reunion on Amazon. It’s available as both a paperback or for your Kindle (Kindle edition for Kindle, laptop, smartphone, tablet, iPad) The Kindle edition is now $.99 through September 22nd. And if you buy the paperback you get the Kindle edition free!
Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of Anancy’s Family Reunion by Eva Greene Wilson from Granted Media for review purposes. No other compensation was received. The views expressed are my own.
Have you guys read Anancy’s Family Reunion yet? What did you think? Are you familiar with other Anancy tales? How did you first come across the Anancy folktales? Tell me nuh?!
