4 stars
A nice introduction to African myths and legends. There are 11 stories included in total that range from 1 to 4 pages. Photographs of various elements associated with the story are paired with each.
I especially liked that the book isn’t just a collection of stories with no context. After each story, there is a two-page spread about the nation/ethnic group from which it originated. This includes the Ashanti, Yoruba, Hausa, Shona, Zulu, and more. Each section contains information about the group such as where they are located in Africa, various customs, history, traditions, and beliefs, and important aspects of life.
The stories are all interesting and cover a variety of themes and topics such as death, curiosity, greed, and mistreatment of others. Many of them include messages about expected conduct or explain why something is the way it is.
One aspect that made this especially easy to read is that phonetic pronunciations and definitions are included in the text. This made the stories and explanations flow nicely.
At the back of the book, there is also a breakdown of various deities as well as a glossary of terms used.
A great start for learning about folklore across Africa.