A Story a Story facts for kids
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| Author | Gail E. Haley |
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| Illustrator | Gail E. Haley |
| Country | United States |
| Genre | Children's picture book |
| Publisher | Atheneum |
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Publication date
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1970 |
| ISBN | 0-689-71201-4 |
| OCLC | 16353859 |
| 398.2/096 E 19 | |
| LC Class | PZ8.1.H139 St 1988 |
A Story a Story is a special book written and illustrated by Gail E. Haley. It shares an old African tale about a clever trickster named Anansi. In the story, Anansi tries to get all the stories from the Sky God to share with the children of Earth.
Gail E. Haley created this book after spending a year in the Caribbean. She researched many Caribbean tales and found their African roots. The book was published by Atheneum in 1970.
Contents
About A Story a Story
This book tells a classic folk tale from Africa. It explains how stories came to be shared among people. The main character, Anansi, is a spider known for being tricky and smart.
The story shows Anansi's journey to collect stories from the powerful Sky God. He faces challenges and uses his wit to succeed. This tale teaches about the importance of stories and sharing knowledge.
The Story Behind the Book
Gail E. Haley spent a lot of time learning about African stories. She traveled to the Caribbean to understand their history. This research helped her bring the tale of Anansi to life.
Her goal was to share these rich cultural stories with young readers. She wanted to show how old tales connect different parts of the world. The book became a way to celebrate African folklore.
Award-Winning Art
A Story a Story is famous for its beautiful pictures. Gail E. Haley not only wrote the story but also drew all the illustrations. Her artwork helped the book win a major award.
In 1971, the book received the Caldecott Medal. This award is given to the artist of the most outstanding American picture book for children. It recognized Haley's amazing talent in illustration.
Bringing the Story to Life
The popular book was also turned into an animated film. Filmmaker Gene Deitch created the animation in 1971. It was made for Weston Woods Studios, which makes films based on children's books.
The animation work happened in Prague, a city in the Czech Republic. Dr. John Akar narrated the film, telling the story with his voice. African music was also added to the film.
Dr. Vaclav Kubica recreated the music using real African instruments. These instruments were borrowed from the Náprstek Museum in Prague. This helped make the film feel truly authentic.
