Anansi and the Talking Melon

Illustrated by Janet Stevens
Paperback
$7.99 US
9.77"W x 9.46"H x 0.12"D  
On sale Jan 01, 1994 | 32 Pages | 9780823411672
Preschool - 3
Reading Level: Lexile 500L
When Anansi the Spider gets stuck in a melon, he decides to pass his time by doing what he's best at—tricking the other animals around him.
 
When his melon begins talking, Elephant is so impressed he decides to take it to show the king.  But Anansi can't resist the opportunity to make jokes at the expense of everyone they meet. Even the King loses his temper over Anansi's bold remarks—but how will the Spider free himself?
 
Anansi's quick thinking will delight readers who love to watch a master trickster at work, and the bold illustrations of the animals' frustrated faces are sure to make kids laugh. 
 
Based on tales originating in West Africa and familiar in Caribbean culture, the five-book Anansi the Trickster series is full of slapstick humor and mischief. Eric A. Kimmel’s imaginative retellings combined with Janet Stevens’ expressive illustrations create the perfect silly stories for fun-loving kids.
Eric A. Kimmel, having loved traditional stories since he was a child, has written, retold, and adapted folktales and legends from around the world. Along with Anansi and the Talking Melon, Kimmel has written four other Anansi titles, including Anansi’s Party Time, which was awarded Bank Street College’s Best Children’s Book of the Year in 2008. Dr. Kimmel lives in Portland, Oregon with his wife Doris.
 
Janet Stevens has written and illustrated popular books for over 30 years. Some of her titles include Coyote Steals the Blanket: A Ute Tale and Tops & Bottoms. Her books include New York Times Bestsellers, Time Magazine Best Books of the Year, ALA Notable books, and a Caldecott Honor. She is most proud of her numerous state book awards that were voted on by young readers. She has two children and lives in Boulder, Colorado.
"A surefire hit."—School Library Journal (Starred Review)

"Stevens's funny animals are delightfully expressive, while Anansi's spider-level perspectives provide generous close-ups of melons, a hippo, a warthog, et al. Good-spirited tomfoolery, with storytelling that reels along with the ease of a seasoned prankster."—Kirkus Reviews

About

When Anansi the Spider gets stuck in a melon, he decides to pass his time by doing what he's best at—tricking the other animals around him.
 
When his melon begins talking, Elephant is so impressed he decides to take it to show the king.  But Anansi can't resist the opportunity to make jokes at the expense of everyone they meet. Even the King loses his temper over Anansi's bold remarks—but how will the Spider free himself?
 
Anansi's quick thinking will delight readers who love to watch a master trickster at work, and the bold illustrations of the animals' frustrated faces are sure to make kids laugh. 
 
Based on tales originating in West Africa and familiar in Caribbean culture, the five-book Anansi the Trickster series is full of slapstick humor and mischief. Eric A. Kimmel’s imaginative retellings combined with Janet Stevens’ expressive illustrations create the perfect silly stories for fun-loving kids.

Author

Eric A. Kimmel, having loved traditional stories since he was a child, has written, retold, and adapted folktales and legends from around the world. Along with Anansi and the Talking Melon, Kimmel has written four other Anansi titles, including Anansi’s Party Time, which was awarded Bank Street College’s Best Children’s Book of the Year in 2008. Dr. Kimmel lives in Portland, Oregon with his wife Doris.
 
Janet Stevens has written and illustrated popular books for over 30 years. Some of her titles include Coyote Steals the Blanket: A Ute Tale and Tops & Bottoms. Her books include New York Times Bestsellers, Time Magazine Best Books of the Year, ALA Notable books, and a Caldecott Honor. She is most proud of her numerous state book awards that were voted on by young readers. She has two children and lives in Boulder, Colorado.

Praise

"A surefire hit."—School Library Journal (Starred Review)

"Stevens's funny animals are delightfully expressive, while Anansi's spider-level perspectives provide generous close-ups of melons, a hippo, a warthog, et al. Good-spirited tomfoolery, with storytelling that reels along with the ease of a seasoned prankster."—Kirkus Reviews

Reading with Purpose Summit Event

On Monday, June 10th, Penguin Random House Education and DK Learning co-hosted a Reading with Purpose Summit Event in collaboration with Molly Ness, PhD. The event took place at Penguin Random House’s NYC headquarters and included sessions featuring leading education experts and a lunchtime author panel. The in-person professional learning event was built to show

Read more

2024 Elementary School Collection

The Penguin Random House Education Elementary School Collection features outstanding fiction, nonfiction, and picture books from Penguin Young Reader’s, Random House Children’s, DK, and Grupo Editorial, as well as children’s publishers distributed by Penguin Random House. Explore online or download this valuable resource to discover great books in specific topic areas such as: Leveled Readers,

Read more

DK Learning Phonic Books Sampler Request

Thank you for your interest in DK Learning | Phonic Books. To download the DK Learning | Phonic Books sampler with four complete readers, please click here and complete the form. Once your information is successfully submitted, a link to download the sampler will be provided on the confirmation screen.   Click here to learn

Read more

PRH Education Translanguaging Collections

Translanguaging is a communicative practice of bilinguals and multilinguals, that is, it is a practice whereby bilinguals and multilinguals use their entire linguistic repertoire to communicate and make meaning (García, 2009; García, Ibarra Johnson, & Seltzer, 2017)   It is through that lens that we have partnered with teacher educators and bilingual education experts, Drs.

Read more