How Stories Came Into the World: A Folk Tale from West Africa

Part of the Folk Tales of the World series, this intriguing picture book incorporates six West African creation myths into a single narrative. Included among the fanciful fables are the two Ekoi tales of how all the animals came to reside on Earth and the Mouse and her story children--the collection's unifying element. Three stories are rooted in the Efik Ibibio tribe: why the Sun and Moon live in the sky (when Water came to visit, it ``overflowed the top of the roof''), why Hippo lives in the water and the origin of thunder and lightning. Rounding out the anthology is the Yoruba tale of the rubber girl--commonly told in America as the Tar Baby. Troughton builds on the strong plot lines in each of the brief retellings and weaves them into a single, almost seamless, episodic tale. Her arresting, primitive paintings vividly evoke African styles and images, and distinctive border designs differentiate cleverly each linked tale. Ages 4-8. (Apr.)