Ananse and the Lizard: A West African Tale

Brief Description: Cummings' lively retelling and vibrant illustrations capture all the mischief and humor of Ananse the spider, one of the most popular characters of West African lore. Full color. Biographical Note: Pat Cummings, the creator of almost thirty books for children, has received the Coretta Scott King Award for Illustration, the Horn Book-Boston Globe Award and the National Council of Teachers of English Orbis Pictus Award for Outstanding Nonfiction. Ms. Cummings, her husband, Chuku Lee, and their cat, Cash, live in beautiful downtown Brooklyn, New York. Marc Notes: Ananse the spider thinks he will marry the daughter of the village chief, but instead he is outsmarted by Lizard. Publisher Marketing: Can the legendary trickster be out-tricked? All the young men had gathered in the village courtyard to hear the Chief's pronouncement: Whoever guesses his daughter's name will have her hand in marriage, inherit half his riches, and become the next Chief. No one outside the palace had ever heard the royal daughter's name. In a stroke of luck Ananse the spider discovers the secret. ""I, Ananse the most wise . . . the most clever . . . I alone know the name of the Chief's daughter! . . ."" But clever Lizard has plans of his own. Pat Cumming's lively retelling and vibrant illustrations capture all the mischief and humor of Ananse, one of the most popular characters of West African lore. Review Citations:

Kirkus Review - Children 10/01/2002 pg. 1465 (EAN 9780805064766, Hardcover)

Publishers Weekly 10/14/2002 pg. 83 (EAN 9780805064766, Hardcover)

School Library Journal 10/01/2002 pg. 142 (EAN 9780805064766, Hardcover) - *Starred Review

Booklist 11/01/2002 pg. 500 (EAN 9780805064766, Hardcover)

Bulletin of Ctr for Child Bks 01/01/2003 pg. 195 (EAN 9780805064766, Hardcover)

Hornbook Guide to Children 07/01/2002 pg. 116 (EAN 9780805064766, Hardcover)

Wilson Children's Catalog 01/01/2003 pg. 9 (EAN 9780805064766, Hardcover)

Multicultural Review 06/01/2003 pg. 84 (EAN 9780805064766, Hardcover)

Hornbook Guide to Children 01/01/2003 pg. 116 (EAN 9780805064766, Hardcover)

Wilson Children's Catalog 01/01/2006 pg. 116 (EAN 9780805064766, Hardcover)

Wilson Children's Catalog 01/01/2010 pg. 161 (EAN 9780805064766, Hardcover)

Contributor Bio:  Cummings, Pat Pat Cummings was born in Chicago but grew up traveling with her military family all over the world. She has been writing and illustrating children's books since she graduated from Pratt Institute. In addition to her art for the Coretta Scott King Award winner My Mama Needs Me by Mildred Pitts Walter, Pat's luminous work includes Angel Baby; Clean Your Room, Harvey Moon!; and the Boston Globe-Horn Book Award winner Talking With Artists. She lives in Brooklyn, New York, with her husband, Chuku Lee, and the ghost of their cat, Cash.