One of the major figures in African folklore is the round-bellied trickster-spider Ananse, who outwits enemies large and small. With The Pot of Wisdom, a wider audience can enjoy these delightful tales. Adwoa Badoe’s witty retellings and Baba Wague Diakite’s colorful images bring Ananse and his amusing — and instructive — adventures to life. Gr 2-5-Badoe relates 10 tales featuring the trickster Ananse. As usual, he is sometimes successful in his clever schemes, and at other times he meets with disaster. Whatever the outcome, he is always ready for more. Readers meet him as he becomes the owner of stories through his cleverness, as well as the thief who is stealing from his own three sons and climbs in a corner of his house to hide his shame. According to an author's note, Badoe's primary source for the material was her own recollections of the tales she heard as a child in Ghana. Her versions are both witty and have the ring of authenticity. Diakit‚ creates stunning, glazed earthenware tiles in rich, vibrant tones. One full-page reproduction of a tile is used to introduce each story and each one is a delightful enticement for delving into the narrative. This is an entertaining read from start to finish and a first purchase for most collections. Grace Oliff, Ann Blanche Smith School, Hillsdale, NJ Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc. Gr. 4-8. Badoe remembers hearing these trickster stories in her youth in Ghana, and she retells them with the freshness and verve of the spoken word. In the 10 stories, which range in length from three to six pages, readers learn why Ananse the spider lives on the ceiling (he's hiding in shame) and how he came to be the owner of stories (he captures by trickery a hive of honeybees, a forest dwarf, and a python for the Great One). Ananse the wise judge makes one foolish choice for himself in "Ananse the Even-handed Judge" and another in the title story. Each tale is illustrated with a brilliantly colored polychrome tile by Diakite, the Mali-born illustrator. The tiles employ strong black linear motifs and sun-and-earth colors: gold, orange, brown, blue, lemon. GraceAnne DeCandido Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved Used Book in Good Condition