cover image The Pot of Wisdom: Ananse Stories

The Pot of Wisdom: Ananse Stories

Adwoa Badoe. Groundwood Books, $18.95 (63pp) ISBN 978-0-88899-429-5

Anansi Spins More Tales Drawing on stories heard in his youth, Ghanaian author Adwoa Badoe retells 10 trickster tales in The Pot of Wisdom: Ananse Stories, illus. by Baba Wague Diakite. Each teaches a life lesson and often double as a pourquoi tale, such as ""Why Ananse Lives on the Ceiling."" An opening note on the art of storytelling encourages readers to pass on the oral tradition. Rendered on glazed earthenware tiles, Diakite's deep green, blue, brown and yellow hues and intricate patterns stand out against white frame borders. ( Sept.)