Anansi and the Magic Stick (4 Paperback/1 CD) (Anansi

Anansi

by Eric A. Kimmel, Janet Stevens (Illustrator)

It's a fine bright day, and all the animals are working--all except Anansi, that is! He's sleeping, as usual. Warthog, Lion, and Zebra laugh so hard at his messy house that they wake him up. Anansi stomps off in a huff--right into an amazing secret! Hyena has a magic stick that follows his orders. If Anansi steals the stick, he'll never have to work again, and his home will be the neatest one in town. Is the magic stick his secret for success? Or the beginning of disasters he can't even imagine?

Genres: Picture Books, Africa, Childrens, Animals, Folklore, Fiction, Folk Tales

Audio CD

First published January 1, 2001

About the author

Eric A. Kimmel is an American author of more than 150 children's books. His works include Caldecott Honor Book Hershel and the Hanukkah Goblins (illustrated by Trina Schart Hyman), Sydney Taylor Book Award winners The Chanukkah Guest and Gershon's Monster, and Simon and the Bear: A Hanukkah Tale.
Kimmel was born in Brooklyn, New York and earned a bachelor's degree in English literature from Lafayette College in 1967, a master's degree from New York University, and a PhD in Education from the University of Illinois in 1973. He taught at Indiana University at South Bend, and at Portland State University, where he is Professor Emeritus of Education.
Kimmel lives with his wife, Doris, in Portland, Oregon.

Reviews

[Abigail · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lazing about while all of his neighbors work hard on their houses and in their gardens, Anansi the spider is annoyed when he becomes a laughing stock, and sets out on a walk. Happening upon Hyena's place, which is neat and tidy despite its owner's indolence, Anansi discovers that Hyena possesses a magic stick which does all of the work for him. Quickly making off with this wonderful object, our arachnid trickster puts it to work for him, but finds the magic getting out of control when he dozes off, and subsequently forgets how to end the enchantment...

As author Eric A. Kimmel notes in this brief author's note, the story here, adapted from the Liberian tale of The Magic Hoe, bears some resemblance to The Magician's Apprentice. It's the classic narrative of magic getting out of control, when used by somebody who doesn't have the training to master it. This telling is entertaining, and the accompanying artwork from Janet Stevens, who also worked on Kimmel's previous Anansi retellings ( Anansi and the Moss-Covered Rock , Anansi and the Talking Melon , and Anansi Goes Fishing ), is humorous and appealing. I particularly liked the flood scene, in which both Kimmel and Stevens are depicted - the one with a pencil, the other with a paintbrush - as being swept along with all of the animals. Recommended to readers who enjoy Anansi stories, and to young folklore enthusiasts in general.

[Connie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reading this book, I was reminded intensely of Strega Nona.

Of course, this sort of story - a "Sorcerer's Apprentice" or "Why the Sea is Salt" sort of tale, where a magical device gets out of hand and won't stop, is common throughout the world. And now that I've told you THAT you probably have the whole story in your mind already.

This version is better than some versions of that story I've seen, but not as good as others (for example, Strega Nona itself). Nor is it as good as other Anansi stories by this author (or possibly others, I'm lacking those right now). If you get it cheap, go for it, but I wouldn't buy it just to have it, this book is not a must-have for every library.

[Corinne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Trying to find a way to shirk his work, Anansi causes problems. Use of repetitious phrase to make the magic stick work. Not sure if this is an African tale or if the author just used African animals to tell his story. Great illustrations.

[Miranda Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was so thrilled when I found this book in the Anansi the spider book series. As a child I loved Anansi and The Talking Melon. Anansi has a really messy house and is taunted by all of his animal friends about it. Anansi doesn't want to clean his house because it requires a lot of effort. Anansi discovers the magic stick and thinks it will solve his problem. I think this book is great to use as a read aloud because students get to hear the story of Anansi. I think that it would be paired greatly with an activity that had students talk about a problem they had and then talk about the consequences. It would be helpful for students to start that thinking process of problem solving. I overall really think this would be a great addition for any classroom and really could be good at any age.

[Brittany Groce · Rating 4 out of 5]

Being lazy always works out for the best, right? Anansi seems to think so! He is tired of getting made fun of for having a messy yard and doesn’t understand how the hyena is always sleeping yet has the best-looking yard all the time! Hard work is for the birds... or for the Warthog, Lion, and Zebra, not for Anansi. Anansi figures out the Hyena’s secret of the Magic stick and everything goes haywire! Maybe hard-work really does pay off?

This folklore story is loosely based on a Liberian story called The Magic Hoe. I would recommend this book for grades 1-4. Personification, honesty, morals, and hard-work could all be discussed in class from the reading of this story. The older students, 3rd or 4th graders, could narrate and act out the story for younger students then complete activities that complement the story with the younger students such as: discuss the moral of the story and work with them on a timeline of events.

This book was a WOW book for me because of the entertainment factor. Anansi seemed to not be able to resist the temptation of the magic stick. It was a cute story that just kept escalating with a good moral at the end. I didn’t realize until after I read this story that there were other Anansi books so I’ll have to check those out.

[Caryll · Rating 4 out of 5]

Anansi and the Magic Stick is a playful take on the classic Anansi character. It’s a great introduction to folktales for young readers. This book wowed me by the escalation of events caused by the magic stick and the fun repetition of the spell. Unlike other folktales I’ve read, Anansi’s character has something to learn from his laziness and trickiness, but the book doesn’t make him out to be a complete bad guy. It’s a fun story with a moral.
This book lends itself to a reader’s theater. It could be performed in a third grade classroom, with students playing a narrator and different animals from the book. There are other books in this Anansi series by Kimmel that could be read as well. The class could even perform it for a younger class, and teach them about folktales and oral tradition.
Students could also create a story web about Anansi that includes his traits and how they play into the moral of the story. This would assess students on what they’ve learned about the structure of folktales.

[Billie Daughtry · Rating 3 out of 5]

Anansi the spider is always getting himself into things taking short cuts or trying to trick others. In Anansi and the Magic Stick he is tired of being teased by the other animals for having a messy house and yard because he just wants to sleep. He notices that Hyena's house is always beautiful and he sleeps all the time too. How does he do it? Anansi hides out to see. He soon learns that Hyena has a magic stick that does his bidding with the magic words. Anansi decides to steal the stick so that he too can sleep all day and still have a beautiful home. He is careless with the magic of the stick and falls asleep while the garden is being watered. He wakes afloat on a river with all of his neighbors. I would use this book to discuss the values of honesty and hardwork. I would also use this to teach personification by discussing how the animals behave like people. The pictures are very colorful and the characters are expressive.

[Diane · Rating 4 out of 5]

All the other animals work hard to keep their houses and yards in good order. Anansi sleeps instead. The other animals complain about Anansi’s laziness. But Anansi notices that Hyena seems to sleep all the time, yet his house and yard are clean. He observes Hyena using a magic stick to get his work done. Anansi decides to steal the stick with some disastrous results.

According to an author’s note, this story is loosely based on the Liberian story called The Magic Hoe.

Love the illustrations!

[Christine Wenske · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fantastical magical picture book with soooooo many great themes, from not stealing to working to better your life. When a spider's house is so much messier than all of the other neighbors, he searches and finds a secret, somebody has a magic stick that takes care of everything for him. When he steals the stick for himself, things get out of hand and he destroys the neighborhood. This whimsical fantasy has so many elements that really demonstrate how real the story is. With the almost too-realistic images, talking animals, and powerful magic, this story is definitely a fantasy story.

[Jenny · Rating 4 out of 5]

This version of Anansi followed the same, traditional pattern, but was retold with a different plot line. Anansi plays tricks on other animals around, but he discovers a magical stick that he wants to use. He tricks the hyena and other animals so that he can steal it and use it's magical powers. This version adds a creative spin on this traditional tale, leaving a disastrous mess in the end. It would be fun to read with students, encouraging them to point out similarities and differences compared to other versions.

[Antoinette Hollamon · Rating 3 out of 5]

All the animals say that Anansi is lazy because he never cleans his house and never takes care of his garden. Hyena sleeps all day too- but his house is clean! What is his secret? A Magic Stick! Anansi knows just what to do... // The moral of the story is that hard work yields the best outcome. I thought it was cute but not life-changing. Many people grow up with these stories but I never did. I liked it but I wouldn't rush out to add it to my home library.

[Lindsay Baloga · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun book about a spider, Anansi, trying to not do any work and using a magic stick to do them instead. Doesn't go as plan and causes issues for his friends, but the work does get done. The book is full of bright colorful pages full of drawings. I did think that these drawings were a bit distracting and took up a lot of the page, but didn't really make reading the story hard. I think 2nd-4th graders could enjoy the book. It's not a hard read, but it does have a lot happening in the story.

[K.Harv]

Do you believe a stick could have so much power? Anansi was not interested in working like his other friends he wanted to find another way to accomplish his task. He went to investigate how others were able to clean so well and borrowed a friend's stick. Taking the stick from his friend resulted in all types of cleaning mishaps occurring.

[Jacob Hinger · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fun story where Anansi is supposed to clean up his yard but he thinks of a better way of doing it, but it ultimately goes wrong with unintended consequences. I liked the story and it's message.

I don't see me using this in my future classroom because it is a picture book, but I could see value in it for introducing the idea of Anansi in a broader unit on folk literature.

[Hannah · Rating 1 out of 5]

Though I love trickster tales and Anansi, I am doubting the authenticity of this story. Anansi is a character known as a trickster to outsmart his problems. Here, he is depicted as lazy and troublesome. I am left feeling disappointed with this book.

[Michelle Vaughn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mads (age 7) was so eager to dig into more Anansi books that he had me read this to him in the car, in the parking lot, the moment we picked it up from the library. Then, for the rest of the afternoon, he walked around saying the magic stick spell.

[michele · Rating 3 out of 5]

Basically the Anansi version of Fantasia's Sorcerer's Apprentice (with Mickey Mouse). Simple and enjoyable but I was a bit disappointed reading it as it wasn't as funny as I remembered the Anansi stories being as a kid. Maybe I read one of the other books in the series...

[Opetoritse · Rating 4 out of 5]

A classic tale of the lazy trickster looking for a wsy out of work and getting in over his head. As great as the illustrations are, I would have appreciate more effort to make the setting resemble West Africa, wherr Anansi tales originated.

[Paige Cody · Rating 4 out of 5]

Anansi and the Magic Stick is a different take on the classic Anansi. I liked reading this story as it was lighthearted and fun. The author repeats the phrase to make the magic stick work. The pictures were also engaging.

[Megan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a funny trickster tale for young readers with great illustrations. It’s about a little spider who gets into some trouble trying to play tricks. This book teaches children strong lessons about the consequences of making bad choices.

[Toni · Rating 5 out of 5]

As ever, more Anansi fun!

[Kerri · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lazy Anansi causing trouble. Pretty pictures as always and a fun little story.

[Shiloah · Rating 4 out of 5]

A spider’s sorcerers apprentice of sorts. Fabulous illustrations.

[Hannah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great moral to the story!

[Sahara Scott · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love Anansi the Spider stories and this one did not disappoint. The only disappointment in this book is the illustrations. Other than that it was another great book about this crafty spider.

[Hunna Watson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Beautiful, colorful illustrations. A bit wordy at times. A sweet, exciting read.

[Marilyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

A traditional Liberian story well-written by Eric Kimmel and beautifully illustrated by Janet Stevens about the trickster Anansi the spider and a magic stick.

[Aaron · Rating 3 out of 5]

Meh.

[Brigitte Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a cute story and lovely illustrations! My child loved every second of it!

[Rachel Abercrombie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really funny. The kids requested it many times.