Anansi and the Moss Covered Rock

Anansi

by Eric A. Kimmel

Anansi the Spider tricks all the animals, until he's taught a lesson.

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

Hardcover

First published September 1, 1988

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]

That famous West African trickster Anansi is at it again in this picture-book from author Eric A. Kimmel and illustrator Janet Stevens, the first of a number of titles they created that detail the spider's adventures. Discovering a moss-covered rock in the forest that knocks out anyone who speaks a certain phrase aloud - "Isn't this a strange moss-covered rock" - Anansi uses this knowledge to incapacitate each of the other animals in the area, thereby gaining the time necessary to steal their food. It falls to shy Little Bush Deer, who has been hiding in the forest and has seen everything, to turn the tables and trick the trickster...

Anansi is a well-known and beloved trickster figure, one who originated with the Akan people of Ghana, but who also has a significant role in the folklore of other West African nations, the Caribbean, and African-America. In some tellings he takes the form of a spider, and in some, a man. As someone who greatly enjoys stories devoted to his tricky adventures, I picked up Anansi and the Moss-Covered Rock with some anticipation, especially as I have read other folkloric retellings from both Kimmel and Stevens. On the whole, I enjoyed both story and artwork here, although I was disappointed to see that Kimmel did not include an author's note detailing his source material. This is something I particularly look for in folkloric retellings, and it was a surprise to find it missing here, as I know the author has included such notes, however brief, in many of his other titles. Leaving that aside, this was an engaging retelling, and is one I would recommend to young folklore enthusiasts, particularly those who appreciate trickster tales. Readers looking for more Anansi stories might also want to pick up either Adwoa Badoe's The Pot of Wisdom: Ananse Stories or Peggy Appiah's Tales of an Ashanti Father , both of which are excellent. Joyce Cooper Arkhurst's 1964 collection, The Adventures of Spider: West African Folktales , is also engaging, and has the added interest of being the very first title that celebrated African-American artist Jerry Pinkney ever illustrated.

[Shiloah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Anansi: what not to do. We have really enjoyed this (and other books) of these African folktales.

[Ronyell · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Anansi and the Moss-Covered Rock” is an old African folktale retold by Eric A. Kimmel, along with illustrations by Janet Stevens. This book is about how Anansi the Spider tries to trick all the animals in the forest by showing them a mysterious rock. This book is surely a delight to anyone who is interested in African folktales.

The story starts off with Anansi the Spider walking through the forest when he spotted a strange looking moss-covered rock and then he exclaims:

“Isn’t this a strange moss-covered rock?”

Suddenly, Anansi falls down unconscious and when he wakes up again, he is confused at what had just happened and when he repeated:

“Isn’t this a strange moss-covered rock?”

He falls back down again and when he wakes up the second time, he realizes the power of the moss-covered rock and he decides to use it to his advantage. Anansi then goes around tricking the other animals such as Lion and Elephant, by leading them to the moss covered rock and once the animals repeat the magic words:

“Isn’t this a strange moss-covered rock?”

They fall down unconscious on the ground and Anansi goes back to their houses and steals their food. Meanwhile, Little Bush deer has been watching Anansi the whole time and she decided to teach Anansi a lesson when Anansi tries to trick her into going to see the moss-covered rock.

Will Little Bush Deer fall for Anansi’s trick or will Little Bush Deer have the last laugh?

Read the rest of this book to find out!

Eric A. Kimmel’s retelling of this ancient folktale is hilarious and charming as Anansi uses a magical rock to get what he wants or at least that what he thinks. I thought that the idea of using an unlikely substance such as the moss-covered rock to take advantage of people by knocking them unconscious was ingenious since we usually hear about how people would simply use magic spells to control people. Janet Stevens’ illustrations are done beautifully as she illustrates each animal with realistic features that they make the animals seem to come alive in this book. The illustrations are also extremely colorful especially of the images of the forest itself as the plants are mainly in colors of pink, green, brown, and all manner of other colors and they make this book extremely bright to look at. Probably, the image that stood out the most was the image of Anansi himself as he has small beady eyes and long legs.



“Anansi and the Moss-Covered Rock” is a superb tale about how tricking someone can get you in massive trouble if you are not careful and many children would definitely call this an instant treat to read over and over again. I would recommend this book to children ages five and up since I do not find anything wrong with this book, unless children might have a hard time pronouncing Anansi’s name.

Review is also on: Rabbit Ears Book Blog

[Sandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Anansi and the moss-covered rock is an old African folktale about a ... spider who uses a magic rock to trick other animals and get their food. But Little Bush Deer finds out what Anansi is doing and decided to teach him a lesson. The interesting thing about the tale is that although all the animals recover their food, Anansi doesn't really learns any lesson, and goes on playing tricks, as is his nature as a spider.
Janet Stevens illustrations are very good, with the animals humanized at the point of walking in two legs, and many "modern" details in the illustrations.

Find more children's book reviews in Reviews in Chalk

[Westminster Library · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are several different ways to spell Anansi (Anancy, Nanzi and Nancy are also accepted). These trickster tales originated in Ghana and are now popular worldwide. Sometimes Anansi is depicted as a man although he is usually portrayed as a spider. Usually Anansi is the one who outwits his much bigger, stronger rivals such as Elephant and Lion but sometimes he is the one who gets his comeuppance.


Find Anansi and the Moss-Covered Rock at the Westminster Public Library!

Some more trickster tales-

Find The tales of Uncle Remus: The Adventures of Brer Rabbit at the Westminster Public Library!

[Judith · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love this trickster folktale. I can't wait to read it to my second graders. It's part of my Folktales Around the World Unit.

[Mr. Cody · Rating 3 out of 5]

That spider is a creep!

[Libby · Rating 3 out of 5]

My Year 2 placement class have enjoyed reading this as their class text and "story mapping" and "story stepping" in order to write their own retelling. Anansi is a prolific figure in African and Caribbean folklore meaning it's a great story for learning about different cultures and environments.

[Cindy Dobrez · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my favorite Anansi tales. I read this long ago and it was popular with my young audiences and my own daughters. Great fun to be reminded of it in my Goodreads feed this morning.

[N_maryellen Rosenblum · Rating 4 out of 5]

Anansi and the Moss-Covered Rock is a West African story that is also known in the Caribbean. I have read many of the Anansi stories, but this is my favorite by far. We find Anansi, the spider in the forest coming upon a moss-covered rock. As soon as he says the words, "Isn't this a strange moss-covered rock?" he falls to the ground in a faint. After repeating this action a couple of times, he realizes what's happening and decides to use this magical rock to trick the other animals in the forest.
He starts out at lion's house and decides he wants lion's yams. So he invites lion to go for a walk and takes him to the moss-covered rock. After lion utters the magical statement and passes out on the ground, lazy Anansi rushes back to lion's house and takes the yams. Anansi continues doing this with several other animals, each time collecting food along the way and bringing it to his house.
Unknowingly, he is being watched by a little bush deer who decides to teach Anansi a lesson by turning the tables on him. When Anansi comes to the bush deer's home, he invites him to come along on a walk, hoping to lead him to the magical rock, and then return to bush deer's house where he will steal several coconuts.
However, Little Bush Deer is aware of Anansi's ploy, and gets Anansi himself to say the magical statement and pass out. While Anansi is passed out, Little Bush Deer goes to Anansi's house with the other animals, and they all reclaim the food Anansi stole from them. Upon waking, Anansi returns home in a daze and sees that all his contraband has been taken back by their rightful owners.

What I love most about the story are the illustrations. The animals are human-like in their movements and gestures, and remind me of several well-loved characters from books I read when I was a child. Having used this book in my classroom years ago, I remember the children also being delighted with the colorful, detailed illustrations.
This book is appropriate for kindergarteners up through second or even third graders. Anansi is a well-know character for most students, however they never fail to be amazed by the fact that Anansi never seems to learn his lesson at the end of each story.

[Eva-Marie Nevarez · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 - This was another audio we listened to in the car on the way back to the library yesterday. Julia followed along in print as we listened.
I think this is the third Anansi book we've read, along with Anansi and the Magic Stick and Anansi and the Talking Melon. I know there's at least one more, maybe many, out there.
One of us happened upon Anansi and the Talking Melon on day awhile back at the library and after reading that found that we both like the authors style and the subjects, along with the characters.
So far each that we've read have been audios and I'm thinking I'll just get the print for the next one. I forget who the narrator was for this one but from what I recall, all three books are read by the same person and while he is good, he's annoying for me. Julia likes the voices he uses for the animals but his voice for Anansi grates on my nerves something awful. I feel bad saying that because while I don't have much experience with audio books of any sort it is obvious he narrates well.
This story is much like the others and uses a lot, if not all, of the same animal characters. I like that Anansi is continual in his actions. In each book we've read so far Anansi is the lazy trickster while the others all pull their own loads and help each other. Of course the morals of the stories are there, in full view and very easy for children to pull out. Each one we've listened to has been a great conversation starter and the illustrations are perfect for the stories and characters.
I think I'll find Anansi Goes Fishing next and I'll read it myself to see if we like the different. There are a few other of Kimmel's books I want to try also, non-Anansi.

[Dolly · Rating 3 out of 5]

This has been a summer for reading books about Anansi. We loved listening to Jerry Terheyden narrate Anansi and the Talking Melon and Anansi Goes Fishing while we followed along with the book. Unfortunately, we couldn't borrow an audio version of this book from our local library, but we still enjoyed the story and loved to see the trickster get tricked.

[Christina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Anansi the spider is a beloved folklore character, and this picture book is based on a West African tale familiar in Caribbean culture. The illustrations are nice,but the story is one of those repetitious ones so often found in children’s books, where the same situation repeats with different characters. I don’t know if this repetition is appealing to young children, I suppose it must be as it’s so common, but it doesn’t make for a very engaging story to me.

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoy these stories of Anansi and the trouble he causes for his self purposes. I like it when he gets his own.

[DaNae · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my favorite all time read-alouds and trickster tales.

[Beth · Rating 3 out of 5]

engaging trickster story with a neat twist. I love Little Bush Deer!

[Lucky Allam]

It is amazing how an old folktale can still make you laugh and teach a lesson at the same time. In this story, Anansi the Spider discovers a magical moss-covered rock in the forest. Whenever someone says a certain phrase, they fall asleep instantly—and Anansi takes advantage of this trick to steal food from the other animals. But while he thinks he’s being clever, Little Bush Deer watches him closely and plans a way to teach him a lesson. In the end, Anansi is outsmarted and the animals get back what he took from them. The tale shows that even tricksters can be fooled, and that dishonesty always catches up with you.

The main genre of this book is traditional literature because it retells a folktale shared for generations in West African and Caribbean cultures. A major theme is consequences—Anansi’s selfishness leads him to lose everything he tried to steal. Another theme is wisdom. Little Bush Deer uses intelligence instead of force to solve the problem. This story helps children understand fairness, responsibility, and the value of thinking before you act. It was a WOW book for me because the characters are playful, memorable, and full of personality.

The author uses several literary devices to bring the folktale to life. One example is repetition—the story repeats the same phrases to build rhythm and anticipation, just like an oral folktale. Another device is personification, since the animals talk, think, and act like people. The illustrations add vibrant imagery inspired by African art, giving the story color and energy. The tone is humorous but meaningful, reminding readers that cleverness can be used for good or for mischief. I would consider this book an anti-bias book because it introduces children to African cultural storytelling and shows that wisdom can come from anyone. I would definitely recommend this book because folktales like this connect us to traditions, lessons, and stories from around the world.

[Kendall Burgett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Anansi and the Moss-Covered Rock is a West African folk tale retold for children that focuses on cleverness, trickery, and the consequences of dishonest behavior. I rated this book a 5 out of 5 because it successfully introduces students to traditional folk literature while presenting a clear moral lesson in an engaging and accessible way. My reaction to the book was very positive, as the story uses humor and repetition to keep readers interested while also encouraging critical thinking about fairness and honesty. Anansi’s actions and eventual consequences make the lesson clear without feeling overly instructional.

The illustrations play an important role in supporting the story. The bold colors and expressive characters help bring the folktale to life and provide cultural context for the setting. The visuals also help elementary readers follow the plot and understand character emotions, especially during moments of trickery and surprise. The illustrations enhance comprehension and make the story appealing to young audiences.

I would use this book with students in grades 2 through 4. Children at this level are developmentally ready to recognize patterns, predict outcomes, and discuss character choices, all of which are central to folk literature. The language is accessible while still introducing new vocabulary and cultural concepts.

In the classroom, I would use this book during a folk literature unit. Students could identify common folk tale elements such as trickster characters and repeated phrases. Another activity could involve comparing Anansi to other trickster characters from different cultures or having students rewrite the story with an alternative ending that promotes fairness. This book supports literacy development while also encouraging moral reasoning and cultural awareness, making it a strong choice for an elementary classroom.

[Aimee Fuhrman · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my favorite of Kimmel and Stevens' Anansi fables! Anansi--a conniving spider--is a well-known character in West African and Caribbean folklore. But in this tale, the other animals find a way to turn the tables on the pesky spider! When Anansi finds a magic rock that puts a sleeping spell on anyone who utters the right words, he uses his powers of persuasion to get the other forest animals to say the magic words. Then, while they are still under the spell, he steals their food. But Little Bush Deer is not to be fooled. Instead, he fanagles a way to get Anansi under the spell, and the animals get their food supplies back.
Kimmel's writing is alive and Stevens' illustrations are colorful and playful--together they create books that are humorous and so much fun to enjoy with little ones!

[RLL22017-Tammi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Anansi is a prankster towards his friends by using a "strangely moss-covered rock" as his trick. In a sly way, he enjoys the lazy route of non-working for food by taking it from his friends. He tricks them into taking a 'guided' walk towards the covered rock then out they go. Hours later they awake dizzy, confused, no Anansi around, yet they stumble home only to find their food is gone. After several successful rounds with the rock, Anansi try's his last prank on an unsuspecting friend. This is a tale of "what goes around, comes around..karma". It's a corky, somewhat funny tale of how not to treat your friends. Children will enjoy this reading if you emphasize your words while reading it out loud.

[Julianna Muth · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Anansi and the Moss-Covered Rock" by Eric Kimmel is the retold story of Anansi the trickster spider from West African folklore. This book is an excellent read-aloud with repetitive and predictable sequences in the story. Whenever I read this to my elementary age students, they are captivated.
Trickster tales (a bit of the naughty) is always a fun read. Kimmel's illustrations are beautifully drawn with interesting details (look for little bush deer). A moral, as is normal for folktales, is delivered within this story in an engaging way (akin to Wilee Coyote). Folktales usually tell the stories and moral lessons of a community, passed through the generations by word of mouth.
When reading this book as a read-aloud to a class of students the text offers areas of quiet "They went walking, walking, walking," which contrast with areas of predicable surprise when the animals are tricked by Anansi "WHAM!" The suspense of the characters blindly stumbling into Anansi's trap and then the surprise ending when the hero of the story is the smallest and quietest animal of the bunch, makes for a perfect read aloud with a great moral as a talking point for students. You can't keep a good trickster down, he always comes back from more, and Eric Kimmel offers up other Anansi stories. "Anansi Goes Fishing" and "Anansi and the Talking Melon."

[Patricia N. McLaughlin · Rating 3 out of 5]

This clever retelling of an old African folktale features Anansi, a trickster figure, who uses cunning to deceive and exploit other characters for his own benefit until his tricks backfire. Thanks to Bush Deer, the wise learn that misuse of power leads to one’s own downfall and results in retribution, having learned a valuable lesson from foolish Anansi, who will continue to use his old tricks. Stevens’ vibrant illustrations depict the animals with elaborately detailed illustrations, but strangely show them walking on their hind legs like hybrid humans. As other reviewers have noted, this retelling should include endnotes to explain the origins of this African folktale, discuss the role of a trickster, and pose questions that explore the morality of Anansi’s actions.

[Chloe Kessler · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fantasy
No awards
Grades K-3
In this book, Anansi the spider finds a magic rock in the forest, then uses it to trick the other animals and take their food.
1. This is an animal fantasy book because the characters are animals who speak and act like humans.
2. The author encourages the reader to suspend disbelief with the talking animals and the plot, which includes a magic rock.
3. The setting isn't really described in this book but it seems like a completely imagined world.
4. The message is probably something like "what goes around comes around," since another animal uses Anansi's own trick to get back at him at the end of the story.

[Jazmine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Anansi and the Moss-Covered Rock (Anansi the Trickster) by Eric A. Kimmel is a great way to show children the importance of honesty and the consequences of being deceptive. The story is about Anansi, the spider who meets a character who likes to play tricks but quickly learns when tricks go too far and lead to negative results. The book allows for various opportunities to discuss topics like honesty, consequences, and how your actions affect others. It also brings into the classroom a diverse perspective. The store is based on African Folklore, which introduces students to different cultures' storytelling and sparks their interest, which is why it would be on my classroom shelf.

[Andria Davis · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story is about Anansi he spider and the magic rock she finds. She uses it to put her friends to sleep to steal from them and then one of her friends is watching and decides to teach her a lesson

This book is one of my favorites. It is funny and serious at the same time. The pictures are extremely colorful and the story is very easy to understand. A child of any age (except maybe infancy) would be able to understand and enjoy this book.

(Traditional Lit)

[Jaden]

Picture Book

Anansi the spider discovers a magical moss covered rock that makes whoever says the magic words fall asleep. He uses this rock to trick all of his friends in the forest. As soon as they fall asleep he steals their food. A small deer was watching him trick all of the different animals and decided to get revenge. He made the spider fall asleep and let all of the animals get their belongings back.

[Sandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have no idea how old this story is but it is definitely a folk tale with a lesson that stands the test of time. Anansi is a cheating, lazy spider. He thinks he's outsmarted all the animals and stolen their goods. But, in the end, it is Anansi who ends up empty handed and alone. The concepts of right and wrong, hard work and friendship are all conversations you can have with your kids from this book.

[Jamie Klos · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great book. All of the Anansi books are great as read alouds and even better if you want to use them for storytelling. I recently saw a couple of librarians do just that with this book at a conference. Use a couple of puppets, some sound effects, and a fake rock, and this story becomes even more fun!

[ConnieLettow · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love the Anansi stories, and this one does not disappoint. The Little Bush Deer watches Anansi trick all the large forest animals out of their food, and finally teaches Anansi the Spider a lesson.

Series: Anansi the Trickster (Book 1 of 5):
1. Anansi and the Moss-Covered Rock
2. Anansi Goes Fishing
3. Anansi and the Talking Melon
4. Anansi and the Magic Stick
5. Anansi’s Party Time

[Michelle Vaughn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mads (age 7) has discovered a love for trickster stories, and Anansi stories in particular, thanks to the Anansi series by Eric A. Kimmel and Janet Stevens. Janet Stevens’s illustrations are delightful, with one exception: I don’t particularly like her Anansi--he is neither incredibly spider-like, nor very expressive.