Bury My Bones but Keep My Words: African Tales for Retelling

by Tony Fairman

A collection of thirteen traditional tales from various regions of Africa, including "The Man with a Tree on His Head," "There's One Day for the Victim," and "The Two Swindlers"

Genres: Childrens

192 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1992

Reviews

[Marsha]

This collection of African tales invites you to share, to emote, to act out the various lines, characters and gestures within it. There are songs for the musically inclined. Always, they are pitched to eager listeners who want to know what happened next.

The stories are told through griots, professional storytellers like court jesters who once played for kings. They are invited to celebrations—weddings and such—but may graciously stop along the way to perform for others who haven’t been invited to the party. They may be told by intimates, family members or friends who just know a good tale or two.

That’s what you get from these stories. They aren’t told by strangers to delight the masses. They’re related by people who are known to the avid listeners, if only by reputation. They are meant to be a shared experience. The audience doesn’t sit on their hands; they’re asked to join the performer.

These stories are meant to be performed rather than merely told. They’re ideal for people who wish to entertain children or the children themselves. They also come with well-drawn illustrations.

[Heather]

While it's a good introduction to African folklore, these stories are better told aloud (the book itself even warns that) and just sitting down and reading them often loses the effect. Some of the stories are more engaging than others and I would have enjoyed the book more if each story hadn't had a modern day intro.

[Talia]

Loved it. The stories were excellent.

[Diana Havi]

i think i want to read this book again