Anansi Time

By: Bobby Norfolk

Narrated by: Bobby Norfolk

Bobby Norfolk plays a prominent role in African-American storytelling. But when he recently visited Africa, he went as a humble student, hoping to glean new insights, to immerse himself in a living oral tradition. He went as a pilgrim to the cities, villages, and jungles of Africa. Yet he was caught completely by surprise when, during a visit to an obscure African village, he was invited to a community-wide afternoon break at which elders told traditional Anansi stories and everyone else listened intently. It was "Anansi Time".

With material gleamed on that trip and from the tradition of African tellers in North America, Bobby Norfolk electrifies audiences with energized retellings of Anansi the wise, Anansi the resourceful, and Anansi the mythic underdog figure who is never undone or outdone.

For Ages Five to Adult

©1999 Bobby Norfolk (P)1999 August House Publishers, Inc.

Too child focused

Despite Mr. Norfolk's annotations, the stories that he says are well respected in Africa, are transformed into child stories and narrates them exactly like that.

Good for kids

Stories are great but performed for children. Kids won't mind the inconsistency in characters and voices or the silly sounds.