Children's Fiction: Animal Stories Daddy Told Us, by Innocent Emchete

[Angela Kay]

Animal Stories Daddy Told Us, by Innocent Emchete is a collection of African tales told in a manner similar to that of Aesop's fables. It is also reminiscent of stories told by other native and tribal cultures to teach their children of the ways of the world.



The tales are varied in characters and each has a moral or lesson to be learned. The end of each story has a set of questions for reflection and discussion. There are a few themes that may not be well received in some cultures for children of a younger age (the killing of debtors, cutting off of tales in revenge, and such), and the language of the stories may be considered too wordy or not vibrant enough to engage others.

I think these stories are best shared in a teaching environment as opposed to bedtime, such as when learning about the values and oral traditions of various cultures.