In the Small, Small Night (Hardcover)

By Jane Kurtz (Author), Rachel Isadora (Illustrator) Reading level: Ages 4-8; Hardcover: 32 pages Language: English ISBN-10: 0066238145 From Booklist: PreS-Gr. 2. Kofi, newly arrived in the U.S., can't sleep in the scary night, so his older sister, Abena, comforts him with two folktales from back home in Ghana, stories in which the small and humble defeat the powerful. In one tale the trickster Anansi, who thinks he's very wise, collects wisdom from all the animals, but his small son shows him up. In the other, a slow, quiet turtle outwits a raucous, sneering vulture. No sources are cited, but Kurtz, who has lived in East and West Africa, heard the folktales from a Ghanaian friend, and she tells them with warmth and immediacy. Isadora's pleasing pastel illustrations show both the close, playful bond between the siblings and the distinctive personalities of the folktale characters. In a beautiful connection, Abena worries that the kids at her new school will jeer at her accent--and her little brother comforts her. Hazel Rochman Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved