Product Description

The first man and woman are lonely. What to do? They decide to fashion children out of clay. As they are baking the little figures in their fire, they're constantly interrupted by visits from the sky-god, Nyame. As a result, some of the children are pale and underdone, some are left in so long that they come out very dark, and the rest are every shade between. Frané Lessac’s gorgeous gouache paintings, inspired by West African masks and pottery, and Eric Maddern’s vivid text make this one of the most compelling of creation myths for young readers.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1036469 in Books
• Published on: 2006-04-06
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 32 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9781845075149
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
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From Publishers Weekly
Elegantly told, gorgeously illustrated and conveying a timely but unforced message, this rendering of a West African folktale is one of the more satisfying creation stories to come down the pike. The great sky-god Nyame fills a basket with soil, trees, flowers, insects and birds, then hangs it in the sky--thus forming the earth. Nyame cuts a trapdoor in the sky (the moon) so he can visit earth, and he punches holes (stars) so light can shine through. Then two "spirit people" dwelling inside Nyame climb up to his mouth to look outside; a sudden sneeze carries them to the earth. Once there, the spirit people, eager for children, fashion clay figures: "We could bake the shapes in the fire and then breathe life into them." They bake some much longer than others, so that their children--all cherished equally--range in hue from "cinnamon red" to "honey yellow" and "shell pink" to plain white. Maddern's direct, evocative text and Lessac's vibrant, primitive paintings conjure forth a world of wonder, whimsy and genuine sweetness. Antelopes gambol while leopards sleep peacefully nearby; the spirit people radiate sheer delight in their unspoiled paradise. The brilliant green foliage, purple distant mountains and pure blue sky testify to the infant world's freshness, while the terra-cotta of the earth and hills generates an enveloping warmth. Ages 4-8.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Kirkus Reviews
A warmhearted Akan pourquoi tale that explains why people come in so many different colors: When the first man and woman become lonely, they make children out of clay. As they are baking the little figures in their fire, they're constantly interrupted by visits from the sky-god--with the result that some of the children are pale and underdone, some are left in so long that they come out very dark, and the rest are every shade between. Lessac's decorative full-bleed gouache paintings are full of vivid plants, animals, and designs adapted from West African masks and pottery, all rendered in her joyous faux-na‹f style. (For slightly older readers, there's a version of this tale in Ann Pilling's Realms of Gold, p. 462.) (Folklore/Picture book. 4-8) -- Copyright ©1993, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

About the Author
Eric Maddern completed a psychology and sociology degree at Sheffield University, and then spent 10 years travelling all over the world, working for a long time with Aboriginal communities. He currently tours around the country, performing as a singer/storyteller, and has built a roundhouse in the grounds of his home where he holds storytelling events. Birthplace: Whyalla, South Australia Whereabouts: Gwnyedd, Wales Previous Titles: Earth Story, Life Story, Curious Clownfish, and Rainbow Bird. (all Frances Lincoln). Illustrator Frane Lessac is an internationally known American artist who has exhibited her paintings in London, Paris, New York and Los Angeles. From film school in California she went on to study Caribbean culture on the island of Monserrat. Previous titles: Frane has worked on many children's projects to date, including The Little Island, Caribbean ABC and The Bird Who Was An Elephant and for Frances Lincoln, The Turtle and the Island, written by Barbara Ker Wilson.

Customer Reviews

The best children's story of creation I've ever read.
Wonderful story about the creation of man and why people come in so many different colors. It conveys a message of understanding that we are all one people in a most captivating way. I think this book should be an integral part of the early childhood curriculum