Anansi and the Moss-Covered Rock

Author: Eric A. Kimmel Price: $ 3.00 (new) $ 0.24 (used) Medium: Paperback (32 pages) Publisher: Holiday House 1990-02

Editorial Description

Anansi the Spider uses a strange moss-covered rock in the forest to trick all the other animals, until Little Bush Deer decides he needs to learn a lesson.

Reader Reviews

Kids love it!
Good story with elements of mystery & magic...and when will Anansi get his? He does of course. My little one walked around slowly mimicking the sad lion when his goods were swiped...then, she'd burst out laughing. We had lots of fun with this.

Funny Story: Strange moss-covered Rock...KPOM!
This book includes one of my favorite Anansi tales, and I love how the clever spider is portrayed by the illustrator--as a "real-looking" spider rather than some sort of spider / human hybrid that seems to grace the pages of many children's books. This more "spidery" persona of Anansi makes him appear all the more crafty, sneaky, and greedy--much to the delight of readers.

It's brilliant how the animals maintain a taste of realism while also sporting some recognizable human qualities too--like sitting in porch chairs and rocking chairs! This is a refreshing approach, and the illustrations are so fun! A joy to look at! You just have to laugh at a fainting hippo and a dejected lion.

The story is well told too. We all wait for Anansi to be outwitted by Little Bush Deer after his reign of trickery and food collecting!

Readers who enjoy this book may also enjoy "Anansi and the Magic Stick," which is created by the same author / illustrator pair: Eric A. Kimmel and Janet Stevens. For readers who like an Anansi that is a spider that has a human face, check out Verna Aardema's "Anansi Does the Impossible."

This book makes a great addition to the family and / or school library.

Be careful when you see a moss-covered rock!
Anansi the Spider finds a moss-covered rock. When he says out loud, "moss c______ r___, he faints! "Ah-ha!" Anansi thinks. "I know how I can make use of this power!" [my words].

He invites his friends to visit the moss c______ r___. They say the words out loud, pass out for an hour, and Anansi raids their larders.

Can't anyone stop Anansi?

The themes of this book are:

1) Crime doesn't pay;
2) What goes around, comes around;
3) Watch out for animals with doe eyes;
4) Don't ever say, "moss c______ r___"; and
5) Don't strike up a conversation with a spider.

This should be a fun book to read to your favorite little person, who will probably never even ask the question, "why does a moss covered rock do this?'

My son loves this book!
My sons teacher read Anansi in class and it was a must buy. He actually says the story while I read.

Anansi trickster tale
Another marvelous Anansi tale! Kimmel is the master of folk/fairy tales and this is one of his best. My library classes love this story, regardless of age, and I purchased a flannelgraph activity from an educational vendor to accompany the book. Students request it time and time again.