Summary
This book follows the main character, Kweku (nicknamed Anasi), through a vacation to Ghana (where his father was born) where he encounters with a magic spider. This spider is similar to the one in his bedtime story. The spider shows his a magic pot that can essentially give him anything he wants; although in the end this turns out to be not exactly WHAT he wants. His grandmother tells him “Greed brings grief. Generosity bringd joy.”
Theme(s):
Generosity, Family, Being Grateful
Personal Response
I really enjoyed this story, as the illustrations were filled with bright colors. In addition to the illustrations, I thought the story did a great job of teaching a moral while also teaching about Ghanian culture. An example of a scene in the story where we are introduced to their culture is by observing the food that Anasi’s grandmother makes: plantains and her Red-Red (which is her bean stew). I think the lesson behind this book is one that a lot of our students need to hear.
Teaching Ideas
I think this would be another great read aloud option. A few task ideas that could supplement the read aloud could be having your students research where Ghana is, and some facts about Ghanian culture. They could then create some sort of multimodal to present their findings. Furthermore, this story has a great message behind it. Perhaps students can take this message and come up with situations in their lives where being generous instead of greedy is beneficial.
Recommended Reading Level
Grade 01, Grade 02, Grade 03
