Anansi and the Moss-Covered Rock

Anansi and the Moss-Covered Rock

A Review by Amanda Kendall

 

Bibliography:

Kimmel, Eric. 1988. Anansi and the Moss-Covered Rock. Ill. by Janet Stevens. New York: Holiday House. 0823407985

Plot Summary:

Anansi, an infamous West African trickster, discovers a most unusual rock in the forest one day. Without a thought says, "Isn't this a strange moss-covered rock!" and he immediately falls to the ground unconscious. When he wakes up, he devises a plan. Inviting each unsuspecting animal individually for a walk to cool off, Anansi walks them by the mysterious rocks and persuades them to say the magic words that knock them out. While unconscious, Anasi rushes to steal their hard-earned treasure for himself.  After many successful tricks, Anansi believes his trick to be unstoppable, but Little Bush Deer has been watching.  In the end, Little Bush Deer tricks the trickster and is able to return all the food to the good animals of the forest.

Analysis:

Kimmel's rhythmic language and well-timed repetition create a fun and predictable story that begs to be read aloud. Told simply and directly, the plot follows a natural pattern that shows Anansi's successful trick in a humorous and playful way. Readers will chant along as each animal is lured to the rock, tricked, and KPOM! falls to the ground.

The colorful illustrations not only capture the lush African forest, but develop the story and characters with each turn of the page. From the beginning and even included on the title page, sweet Little Bush Deer makes an appearance on ever page.  She watches Anansi repeatedly trick the animals out of their treasure and waits for the perfect moment to trick the trickster and teach him a lesson. Well planned and thoughtfully designed, the illustrations develop the story, emphasize the theme, and invite readers to examine this folktale more closely than they did before.

Awards & Reviews:

• Golden Sower Award Nominee, 1991

From School Library Journal: “The text is rhythmic, nicely building suspense to the inevitable conclusion. Stevens' complementary, colorful illustrations add detail, humor, and movement to the text"

From Bulletin of the Center of Childrens Books: "This book combines Stevens' knack for drawing funny animals with Kimmel's sense of rhythmic storytelling." 

Connections:
More Anansi Stories from Eric Kimmel:

• Anansi and the Talking Melon. 0823411672
• Anansi Goes Fishing. 0823410226
• Anansi and the Magic Stick. 0823417638
• Anansi's Party Time. 0823422410

More African Folk Tales:

• McDermott, Gerald. Anansi the Spider: A Tale from the Ashanti. 0805003118
• McDermott, Gerald. Zomo the Rabbit: A Trickster Tale from West Africa. 0152010106
• Cleveland, Rob. The Clever Monkey: A Folktale from West Africa.  0874838010
• Aardema, Verna. Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People's Ear. 0140549056
• Gerson, Mary-Joan. Why the Sky is Far Away: A Nigerian Folktale. 1338157744

Suggested Curricular Connections:

• Read multiple Anansi stories to compare and contrast trickster exploits.
• Engage in an author's study of Eric Kimmel's work and read tales from around the world. Collect facts about world cultures and traditions and mark each place visited through a book on a world map.
• Write your own trickster tale where the trickster gets tricked back.
• Create your own magic rock with magic words. Write a story about what the magic words do.