A cunning spider weaves a plot to feed his family in The Cunning Kwaku Anansi, a folk-tale like story that will appeal to younger children. In the story, a witch named 5 hates her name as for all her life she has been teased and tormented by others. The witch devises a spell so that every time someone says "five" they will disappear.
The spider, Kwaku Anansi, hears of this spell and the disappearing people and sees a way to feed his hungry family. Although he is a poor, lazy farmer, he is still a sly spider. Planting five African yams on the side of the road, Kwaku Anansi waits for a passerby and then asks them how many yams he has. Brother Dog, when asked tells Kwaku Anansi he should have gone to school, but the kind Bull answers that he has five…and Bull disappears leaving his basket of sweet ripe fruit behind which Kwaku Anansi steals. After tricking many creatures, Mrs. Guinea Fowl is able to foil Kwaku Anansi's plot by tricking him into saying "five" himself.
Like all great fables that teach a moral lesson, The Cunning Kwaku Anansi is the lesson that one should never cheat others because there are always consequences and that living a good, productive life is better. Even the witch falls victim to her own spell and disappears and everyone affected by the spell returns. The book is full of colorful, vibrant illustrations that enhance the prose of the story. Every character is wonderfully rendered in great details and bright colors that bring the story to life.
