Anansi the Spider likes to eat fish but is much too lazy to catch one himself—so he decides to trick Turtle into catching one for him. When Anansi asks Turtle to teach him how to catch fish, Anansi thinks tricking Turtle into doing all the work for him will be easy. But Turtle is not as easily fooled as Anansi thought. Young readers will light in Janet Steven’s bright and lively illustrations and laugh watching Anansi’s plan backfire.
Based on tales originating in West Africa and familiar in Caribbean culture, the five-book
Anansi the Trickster series is full of slapstick humor and mischief. Eric A. Kimmel's imaginative energy combined with Janet Steven' expressive illustrations create the perfect silly stories for fun-loving kids.
Eric A. Kimmel, having loved traditional stories since he was a child, has written, retold, and adapted folktales and legends from around the world. Along with
Anansi and the Talking Melon, Kimmel has written four other Anansi titles, including
Anansi’s Party Time, which was awarded Bank Street College’s Best Children’s Book of the Year in 2008. Dr. Kimmel lives in Portland, Oregon with his wife Doris.
Janet Stevens has written and illustrated popular books for over 30 years. Some of her titles include
Coyote Steals the Blanket: A Ute Tale and
Tops & Bottoms. Her books include New York Times Bestsellers, Time Magazine Best Books of the Year, ALA Notable books, and a Caldecott Honor. She is most proud of her numerous state book awards that were voted on by young readers. She has two children and lives in Boulder, Colorado.