Aardema, Vema.
Half a Ball of Kenki
, New York: Frederick Wayne, 1979. An Ashanti tale of a fly and a Leopard who at first are friends but Leopard becomes jealous and ties Fly to a tree. He challenges anyone who tries to set him free.
+Aardema, Vema.
Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People’s Ears
. New York: Dial Books for Young Readers, 1975 Mosquito tells iguana a lie and it starts a chain reaction of panic throughout the jungle.
+Dayrell, Elphinstone.
Why the Sun and Moon Live in the Sky
. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Co., 1968. An explanation tale that tells of the beginning of time and the events that lead up to the sun and Moon taking their place in the sky.
+Greaves,Nick.
When Hippo was Hairy
, Bok Books International,1988. This book is filled with animal tales, many of which explain how the animals got their certain characteristics. It gives the origin of the tale and where these animals are found in Africa as well as statistical information on the species.
Haley, Gail E.
A Story, A Story
. New York, 1970. One African folktale from the Ashanti culture. This is the story of how Anansi first tricked the sky God into giving him all the stories.
McDermott, Gerald.
Anansi the Spider
. New York: Henry Holt and Co.,1972. A witty story of Anansi and his six sons. Anansi takes off on a journey but falls into trouble, his sons rescue him and Anansi wants to pay them back by giving them the light in the sky.
Musgrove, Margaret.
Ashanti to Zulu, African Traditions
. New York: Dial Press, 1976. An innovative alphabet book that introduces us to 26 different African cultures by explaining a particular custom. Beautifully illustrated.
+ Books containing explanatory tales.