Summary
Anansí the trickster spider is back to his old tricks once again in this classic African folktale. Anansí must use his brainpower to teach Elephant and Whale to respect smaller creatures. He challenges both Elephant and Whale to a tug o' war. But they don’t realize that they are actually pulling against each other and not Anansí. In the end, both stubborn animals are so tired that they give up when Anansí asks them who is the strongest animal and he declares himself the winner of the tug o' war.
Analysis
Bobby and Sherry Norfolk use the plot of Anansí and the Tug o' War to share valuable life lessons about being resourceful and using courage to outwit those who are more powerful. Anansí proves to both Elephant and Whale that, in a battle of wits, brains will definitely overwhelm brawn. In the end, due to his clever thinking and resourcefulness, Elephant and Whale learn to be more respectful of smaller creatures.
Illustrations
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