Why the Crab Has No Head

by Barbara Knutson

Retells the African folktale from the Bakongo people of Zaire in which Crab's pride influences his creator, who leaves crab without a head to make him humble

Genres: Childrens, Picture Books, Animals

24 pages, Paperback

First published February 1, 1988

Reviews

[Krysta Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I revisited this book as an adult because I'm working on a reading challenge, and one of the line items is "A book by an author you have met." Welp, I have met almost no one of any note, but the author of this children's book came to my elementary school and read this one to us many years ago. She even signed a personalized copy just for me, which elated my 6-or-7-year-old self.

[Alexis Satterfield · Rating 5 out of 5]

Summary:
Why Don’t Crabs Have Heads is about a time, long ago. At the time, no animal had a head. The king created and named all the animals for different reasons meant that each animal had different features. One day, the crab needed to be finished, but she was too tired and she told him to come back to the cave the next day to get his head. He was very proud, but his proudness turned to pridefulness. He told every animal of how it took two days to prepare his head. When she found out about the crabs prideful actions and how he bragged to others, she become frustrated and decided to not give the crab a head at all. She does this to keep the crab humble.

Evaluation:
Why The Crab Has No Head is an African folktale that carries a strong message of how being humble important. The illustrations are in black and white and the images of the animals are quite engaging. The black and white illustrations carry out the traditional feel how this story of the beginning of creation. I really liked this story and I did not think it was going to end the way it did. It had a little sense of humor to it that I appreciated.

Teaching Moment:
Since this is a traditional African folktale and it involves several Africa animals. I would use this text to introduce the animals of Africa and study their environment and culture. This book can bring up to start a study of the Bakongo people. I’d use this text in 3rd or 4th grade text because of the difficult language and a read aloud in the younger grades.

[Taylor Sosebee]

Summary:
Nazambi (one of the gods) was making animals and made a crab, but after making so many other animals she was too tired to make him a head. Because of this she she promised to make him one the next morning. The crab was so excited he went around and told all the animals to come watch her give him a head in the morning. Nazambi didn't like how prideful the crab was so she decided to not give him a head and leave him the way he was.

Evaluation:
I really enjoyed listening to this book. Barbara Knutson did a great job developing the crabs character and making the reader feel like they knew him and understood him. I would recommend this book to students 1st-3rd grade. I feel like they would really enjoy what this story has to offer.

Teaching Point:
This book would be great to use to teach character development. The teacher could read this book and then have students try to figure out why Nazambi didn't like the crabs behavior. The teacher could create an anchor chart where students have class discussion on how the author developed the character. Then students could take this new knowledge and apply it to their own writing.

[David · Rating 3 out of 5]

Why the Crab Has No Head: An African Tale by Barbara Knutson retells the African folktale from the Bakongo people of Zaire in which crab's pride influences his creator, Nzambi Mpungu, who leaves crab without a head to keep him humble, after seeing how proud crab is acting. The text is framed with patterns of animals, birds, and geometric designs.

Knutson's illustrations are drawn in black and white, with each page framed in patterns of geometric designs. My favorite images include leopard & lizard, elephant, crab, warthog & buffalo & bushbuck & guineafowl, and all the animals.

This is an simple but elegant telling of a creation myth. While it displays African storytelling style, it does not reveal too much about the Bakongo people. Some readers may prefer folktales with more colorful illustrations, or may be expecting to see colors as shown on the cover.

For ages 5 to 8, crab, creation myth, animals, Africa, multicultural, folktales, pride, humility and fans of Barbara Knutson.

[Tori · Rating 5 out of 5]

Summary: Nazambi created and named all these animals. She had different reasons for each animal. When she got to the crab, she was tired, so she told him to come back the next day to get his head. He was so prideful that she had taken two days to make him and only one day to create the elephant. He told everyone in town to watch her give crab a head. When she found out that he was bragging about what she hadn’t done yet, she decided not to give him a head.

Evaluation: I liked the very detailed story of this African Tale of the history of the crab. It makes you think really think about it the character development and think about what would’ve happen if the crab was just patient.

Teaching Idea: This would be a very good book to read to students to teach them not to be prideful. It is silly enough to not scare the students into learning this lesson, but serious enough for them to learn about being patient and not taking things for granted.

[Juliette · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nzambi Mpungu is creating the animals, she took all day to make the elephant and by night she is too tired to finish her next creation, so she tells crab to come back the next morning for a head. Crab goes to all the other animals bragging about the fine head that he will recieve and invites the other animals to Nzambi's the next morning to watch. Nzambi sees how proud crab is and decides that crab is just fine the way she is.

I love these fables of how animals became the way they are.

While this book would be an excellent introduction to the animals in Africa, and a fair intro to an African culture. It's not a great multicultural book. There is nothing in this for us to understand the culture of the Bakongo people of Zaire.

A fine story, not a good representation of a culture.

[Shania Jackson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Appropriate Grade Levels: Grades 1 - 3 (Ages 6 - 9)

Have you ever wondered why the world is the way it is today? Why the Crab Has No Head tells the amazing story of the beginning of the animals in Africa based on the god Nzambi Mpungu. Poor crab - maybe next time he'll be more humble.

The book is a real adventure in African culture. The images are all in black and white, creating more of a historic tribe feel and allows children to feel as if they are hearing the story as a member themselves. Using the name of the African God and introducing African vernacular is an amazing touch as well.

Classroom Uses:
1) Writing prompt of how things came to be how they are today
2) Teaching what folklore means and how it exists around the world

[Leslee Mahoney · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was unlike any other children's book I have read. The illustrations were all in black and white and the text referenced African animal names but didn't explain what the animal is. The morel of the story was great though in teaching that bragging will do you no good. It was an interesting way to explain why the crab has no head and makes me wonder what the author would say about a turtle's head.

[Gianna Mosser · Rating 2 out of 5]

With the exception of the female creator, there wasn't that much here. The illustrations were beautiful in the black and white, but other than the fact that the truth can be "less true" or "more true", I thought the moral could be tough to tease out for a little guy. They don't quite understand the concept of pride yet.

[Becca Holcomb · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would use this book as a mulitcultral text. It is a folktale about a crab who has no head, but it is a symbol of humility. The reason why I like this book for my class is because it brings in the African culture and style of telling folktales.

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Illustrated by the author. The perfect length for a storytime, this is an interesting African tale. The illustrations are all black and white, but the geometric design makes them very bold. A story with a moral, like Aesop.

[Terry Manning]

Multicultural African tale -- A story with black and white illustrations about the creation of different animals. Moral of the story is to be humble and not brag.