Verna Norberg Aardema Vugteveen, best known by the name Verna Aardema, was a writer of children's books.
PreS-Gr 3‘Anansi the Spider is determined to buy back the stories taken from the people and kept by the Sky God. With the assistance of his clever wife, Aso, he takes the Sky God the live python, the real fairy, and the 47 stinging hornets required to regain the stories. Retold from Aardema's The Sky God Stories (Coward, 1960; o.p.), the tale rollicks along at a rhythmic merry pace, full of descriptive ideophones (sounds that express movement or emotion). The lively narrative is perfect for reading aloud, and the inclusion of Aso is a particularly nice touch. Desimini's textured collages portray the spider couple as cheeky and cherubic in their boldly patterned clothing. The extravagant, vibrant illustrations fill the pages and complement the text beautifully. The depictions of the defiant Anansi confronting the Sky God, a gigantic, disembodied head, are particularly effective. Gail Haley's A Story, A Story (Atheneum, 1970) tells the same tale, but to compare the two would be to compare apples and oranges. Both retellings have lively, evocative language, although Aardema's version may be more suited to preschool listeners, and both have compelling illustrations that extend and illuminate the narrative. Make room on the shelf for both.‘Donna L. Scanlon, Lancaster County Library, PA
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