'Once oh small children round my knee there were no stories on earth to hear.'
So begins Gail E. Haley's classic children's book and Caldecott medal winner, A Story, A Story. This is one of my absolute favorite children's books growing up. I remember it clearly because my late father, Dr. John Akar, did the narration. My children also grew up learning about Anansi the spider man, as I read A Story, A Story to them and tried to imitate the way my father did it.
This is an excellent book that retells the African tale of how, when there were no stories in the world for children to hear, the trickster Anansi obtained them from the Sky God. I had the pleasure of speaking with Mrs. Haley last summer as I learned more about her collaboration with my late father.
Here's an interesting piece of trivia: Did you know that my late father composed the music for the Sierra Leone (West Africa) national anthem, and that it was used in the movie, Blood Diamond? "High We Exalt Thee, Realm of the Free" is the national anthem of Sierra Leone. It was adopted as the national anthem in 1961 when the country became independent replacing God Save The Queen.
My father was Sierra Leone's ambassador to the United Nations and the U.S. I come by my LOVE of travel honestly, as I've been truly blessed to have traveled extensively having grown up in the Diplomatic Corps.
If you are an elementary school teacher, have small children, grand/great grandchildren, nieces and nephews, A Story, A Story is a wonderful book that teaches many life lessons.
Below is a YouTube video which did not exist when I was younger. These stories were typically passed down through generations through the art of storytelling. Enjoy and happy travels!
