{"id":9214047125741,"title":"Anansi and the Talking Cloth","handle":"anansi-and-the-talking-cloth","description":"\u003ch6\u003eComing August 25, 2026. Pre-order today!\u003c\/h6\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - ENTER AUTHOR\/ILLUSTRATOR INFO BELOW - - - - - - - --\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBy: \u003ca href=\"\/pages\/caroline-brewer\"\u003eCaroline Brewer\u003c\/a\u003e with \u003ca href=\"\/pages\/kwasi-asare\"\u003eKwasi Asare\u003c\/a\u003e \/ Illustrated by: \u003ca href=\"\/pages\/ekua-holmes\"\u003eEkua Holmes\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - ENTER HEADING BELOW - - - - - - - --\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cb\u003eWhen kente-cloth weavers stop weaving, Anansi the Spider must save the city in this modern and original African folktale.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - ENTER DESCRIPTION BELOW - - - - - - - --\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOne day the sun stops shining because the kente-cloth making spiders have stopped weaving in protest against mass-produced cloth. Handmade kente cloth has made Africa famous and the spider city wealthy. Without it, the city is doomed.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAnansi faces the biggest challenge of his spider life. He'll need all the wits of his clever trickster past, and a little help from his wife, to restore harmony. Author Caroline Brewer and master kente-cloth weaver Kwasi Asare bring readers a fresh take featuring the trickster Anansi, a classic hero.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - - - - - ENTER RECOMMENDATIONS BELOW - - - - - - - -- - - --\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"recommended-books\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIf you like this book, you’ll enjoy these: \u003cbr\u003e\u003ca href=\"\/products\/mahogany\"\u003eMahogany\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ca href=\"\/products\/ceecee\"\u003eCeeCee\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ca href=\"\/products\/quill-soup\"\u003eQuill Soup\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - - - - - START OF TABS - - - - - - - -- - - --\u003e [TABS]\n\u003ch5\u003eLook Inside\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0750\/0101\/files\/anansi-and-the-talking-cloth-spread.jpg?v=1764096659\" style=\"display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\" class=\"cvr-border-gray\"\u003e\u003c!-- Please call pinit.js only once per page --\u003e \u003cscript type=\"text\/javascript\" async=\"\" defer data-pin-shape=\"round\" data-pin-height=\"32\" data-pin-hover=\"true\" src=\"\/\/assets.pinterest.com\/js\/pinit.js\"\u003e\u003c\/script\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - - - - ENTER DOWNLOADABLES BELOW - - - - - - - - - - --\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eDownloadables\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"medium-cover\"\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0750\/0101\/files\/anansi-and-the-talking-cloth-cover.jpg?v=1764096655\" alt=\"Book cover of 'Anansi and the Talking Cloth' with colorful illustration of a spider-like character.\"\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"btn-wrapper\"\u003e\u003ca class=\"product-btn\" href=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0750\/0101\/files\/anansi-and-the-talking-cloth-cover-hires.jpg.zip?v=1764096671\"\u003eDownload the Cover\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - - - - - ENTER AUTHOR BIO BELOW - - - - - - - - - --\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eAuthor \u0026amp; Illustrator\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCaroline Brewer, author\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCaroline Brewer is an award-winning children’s book author, artist, environmentalist, literacy consultant, and creator of Nature-Wise, a program for students and teachers that blends literacy and nature exploration. Caroline is also author and illustrator of \u003ci\u003eHarriet Tubman, Force of Nature\u003c\/i\u003e and author of \u003ci\u003eSay Their Names\u003c\/i\u003e. She lives in the Washington, DC, metro area. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"\/pages\/caroline-brewer\"\u003eRead more \u003c\/a\u003eabout Caroline.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eKwasi Asare, author\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eKwasi Asare was born in Nsawam, near the capital city of Accra, Ghana, and is one of Africa’s most prominent and accomplished weavers known for kente cloth, the highly prized Ghanaian cloth that traditionally symbolizes royalty, honor, and leadership. For the United Nations’ fiftieth anniversary in 1995, he created a new kente cloth design. Until 2017, it replaced the original cloth created by Kwasi’s father, A. E. Asare.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"\/pages\/kwasi-asare\"\u003eRead more \u003c\/a\u003eabout Kwasi.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - ENTER ILLUSTRATOR BIO BELOW - - - - - - - - - - - --\u003e \u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eEkua Holmes, illustrator\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEkua Holmes was awarded a Caldecott Honor, Coretta Scott King’s John Steptoe New Talent Illustrator Award, Robert Siebert Award, and Boston Globe–Horn Book award for \u003ci\u003eVoice of Freedom: Fannie Lou Hamer, Spirit of the Civil Rights Movement\u003c\/i\u003e, her first illustration project. She won the Coretta Scott King Award for Illustration twice: \u003ci\u003eOut of Wonder: Poems Celebrating Poets\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eStuff of Stars\u003c\/i\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"\/pages\/ekua-holmes\"\u003eRead more\u003c\/a\u003e about Ekua.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - - ENTER AWARDS \u0026 HONORS BELOW - - - - - - - - --\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eAwards \u0026amp; Honors\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eComing soon!\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - - - ENTER REVIEWS BELOW - - - - - - - - - --\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eEditorial Reviews\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublishers Weekly\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eBrewer, Kwasi Asare, and Holmes weave a vibrant folktale in which kente cloth prompts an exploration of artistry’s cultural value. In a “hip” metropolis, spider weavers craft kente, a “talking cloth” that “tells a wonderful story.” When the residents, including Chief Griot Anansi, begin to favor cheap machine-made fabric, the weavers abandon their looms, causing the once thriving city to lose its color and its verve. After relying on trickery to solve the crisis fails, Anansi, upon his wife’s suggestion, gathers the city together in song and celebration, publicly honoring the artisans whose work sustains the community’s spirit. Layered, lengthy verse emphasizes collaboration over cleverness, while illustrations rich with patterned textiles and silhouetted brown-skinned human and spider residents leverage the feel of intricate textiles. Steeped in Ghanaian culture and storytelling traditions, this is a thoughtful tribute to the enduring importance of honoring creative labor. Back matter includes creators’ notes.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003eBooklist\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eAnansi, the trickster spider, continues to spin his web of stories in this original, contemporary folktale set in a vibrant African city known for its talented kente-cloth weavers. Using their hands and feet in a “fascinating fever,” the skilled artisans create intricate textiles bursting with stunning greens, golds, and reds. Each color and complex pattern in the “talking cloth” contains cultural significance and wisdom, “telling us the truth, telling us how to live; telling us to stay strong, and how to give.” Some citizens, including Chief Griot Anansi, eschew the handcrafted fabric and wear machine-made fast-fashion. A cheap imitation, “this mock kente cloth has no storytelling past.” Feeling disparaged, the weavers go on strike and the city’s light dims until Anansi, with the help of his wife, Aso, comes up with a plan to show sincere appreciation. Caldecott Honoree Holmes’ brilliant collage illustrations are alive with colors, patterns, and textures. An author’s endnote explains the legend and history of Anansi and kente cloth. This rhythmic read-aloud picture book weaves an authentic tale honoring community and craft.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003eThe Horn Book\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eOne of Africa’s most iconic trickster 􀏐igures, Anansi the spider, is here reimagined in a modern tale set in a Ghanaian city renowned for its master weavers. The residents use vibrant colors and bold shapes to create kente, the “talking cloth,” which tells stories of the world and how it came to be: “God’s mouth— \/ telling us the truth; \/ telling us how to live; \/ telling us to stay strong, \/ and how to give.” But over time, cheaper and quicker-to-produce machine-made clothes begin to replace kente. The manufactured clothing, with “no storytelling past,” is increasingly worn by consumers—including Anansi!—and the city’s weavers stop weaving. Fast fashion also takes its toll on the earth itself: the sun is losing its shine; music and rainbows are less vibrant. When Anansi’s first attempt fails at getting the weavers to return, he consults his wise wife, Aso. Can she produce a solution to bring true kente and its creators back to the city? Brewer’s rhyming text, supported by kente consultant Asare, brings lyricism and cultural specificity to this contemporary original fable celebrating human creativity. Holmes’s textured collages weave their own narrative, with anthropomorphic spiders collaborating with insects and humans in richly patterned spreads. Back matter includes an author’s note about Anansi and the history of kente cloth as well as an illustrator’s reflection.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - - - - - ENTER DETAILS BELOW - - - - - - - - - - - --\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eDetails\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHardcover\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eISBN: 978-1-62354-421-8\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAges: 5–8\u003cbr\u003ePage count: 40\u003cbr\u003e9\u003csup\u003e1\u003c\/sup\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\/\u003c\/span\u003e\u003csub\u003e2\u003c\/sub\u003e x 9\u003csup\u003e1\u003c\/sup\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\/\u003c\/span\u003e\u003csub\u003e2\u003c\/sub\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003ePublication date: August 25, 2026\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n[\/TABS]","published_at":"2026-01-12T10:39:06-05:00","created_at":"2025-12-02T10:34:21-05:00","vendor":"Charlesbridge","type":"Children's Book","tags":["Browse by Age_Ages 3-6","Browse by Age_Ages 6-10","Browse by Fiction\/Nonfiction_Fiction","Browse by Format_Picture Book","Browse by Language_English","Browse by Subject_Art\/Music\/Theater","Browse by Subject_Life Lessons \u0026 Skills","Browse by Subject_Social Studies\/Cultures","Browse by Subject_Story Time \u0026 Play"],"price":1799,"price_min":1799,"price_max":1799,"available":true,"price_varies":false,"compare_at_price":null,"compare_at_price_min":0,"compare_at_price_max":0,"compare_at_price_varies":false,"variants":[{"id":49093497487597,"title":"Hardcover","option1":"Hardcover","option2":null,"option3":null,"sku":"44218","requires_shipping":true,"taxable":false,"featured_image":{"id":45648932798701,"product_id":9214047125741,"position":1,"created_at":"2025-11-25T13:50:54-05:00","updated_at":"2025-11-25T13:50:55-05:00","alt":"Book cover of 'Anansi and the Talking Cloth' with colorful illustration of a spider-like character.","width":600,"height":600,"src":"\/\/www.charlesbridgemoves.com\/cdn\/shop\/files\/anansi-and-the-talking-cloth-cover.jpg?v=1764096655","variant_ids":[49093497487597]},"available":true,"name":"Anansi and the Talking Cloth - Hardcover","public_title":"Hardcover","options":["Hardcover"],"price":1799,"weight":567,"compare_at_price":null,"inventory_quantity":10,"inventory_management":"shopify","inventory_policy":"continue","barcode":"9781623544218","featured_media":{"alt":"Book cover of 'Anansi and the Talking Cloth' with colorful illustration of a spider-like character.","id":37280979583213,"position":1,"preview_image":{"aspect_ratio":1.0,"height":600,"width":600,"src":"\/\/www.charlesbridgemoves.com\/cdn\/shop\/files\/anansi-and-the-talking-cloth-cover.jpg?v=1764096655"}},"requires_selling_plan":false,"selling_plan_allocations":[],"quantity_rule":{"min":1,"max":null,"increment":1}}],"images":["\/\/www.charlesbridgemoves.com\/cdn\/shop\/files\/anansi-and-the-talking-cloth-cover.jpg?v=1764096655"],"featured_image":"\/\/www.charlesbridgemoves.com\/cdn\/shop\/files\/anansi-and-the-talking-cloth-cover.jpg?v=1764096655","options":["Title"],"media":[{"alt":"Book cover of 'Anansi and the Talking Cloth' with colorful illustration of a spider-like character.","id":37280979583213,"position":1,"preview_image":{"aspect_ratio":1.0,"height":600,"width":600,"src":"\/\/www.charlesbridgemoves.com\/cdn\/shop\/files\/anansi-and-the-talking-cloth-cover.jpg?v=1764096655"},"aspect_ratio":1.0,"height":600,"media_type":"image","src":"\/\/www.charlesbridgemoves.com\/cdn\/shop\/files\/anansi-and-the-talking-cloth-cover.jpg?v=1764096655","width":600}],"requires_selling_plan":false,"selling_plan_groups":[],"content":"\u003ch6\u003eComing August 25, 2026. Pre-order today!\u003c\/h6\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - ENTER AUTHOR\/ILLUSTRATOR INFO BELOW - - - - - - - --\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBy: \u003ca href=\"\/pages\/caroline-brewer\"\u003eCaroline Brewer\u003c\/a\u003e with \u003ca href=\"\/pages\/kwasi-asare\"\u003eKwasi Asare\u003c\/a\u003e \/ Illustrated by: \u003ca href=\"\/pages\/ekua-holmes\"\u003eEkua Holmes\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - ENTER HEADING BELOW - - - - - - - --\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cb\u003eWhen kente-cloth weavers stop weaving, Anansi the Spider must save the city in this modern and original African folktale.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - ENTER DESCRIPTION BELOW - - - - - - - --\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOne day the sun stops shining because the kente-cloth making spiders have stopped weaving in protest against mass-produced cloth. Handmade kente cloth has made Africa famous and the spider city wealthy. Without it, the city is doomed.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAnansi faces the biggest challenge of his spider life. He'll need all the wits of his clever trickster past, and a little help from his wife, to restore harmony. Author Caroline Brewer and master kente-cloth weaver Kwasi Asare bring readers a fresh take featuring the trickster Anansi, a classic hero.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - - - - - ENTER RECOMMENDATIONS BELOW - - - - - - - -- - - --\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"recommended-books\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIf you like this book, you’ll enjoy these: \u003cbr\u003e\u003ca href=\"\/products\/mahogany\"\u003eMahogany\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ca href=\"\/products\/ceecee\"\u003eCeeCee\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ca href=\"\/products\/quill-soup\"\u003eQuill Soup\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - - - - - START OF TABS - - - - - - - -- - - --\u003e [TABS]\n\u003ch5\u003eLook Inside\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0750\/0101\/files\/anansi-and-the-talking-cloth-spread.jpg?v=1764096659\" style=\"display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\" class=\"cvr-border-gray\"\u003e\u003c!-- Please call pinit.js only once per page --\u003e \u003cscript type=\"text\/javascript\" async=\"\" defer data-pin-shape=\"round\" data-pin-height=\"32\" data-pin-hover=\"true\" src=\"\/\/assets.pinterest.com\/js\/pinit.js\"\u003e\u003c\/script\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - - - - ENTER DOWNLOADABLES BELOW - - - - - - - - - - --\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eDownloadables\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"medium-cover\"\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0750\/0101\/files\/anansi-and-the-talking-cloth-cover.jpg?v=1764096655\" alt=\"Book cover of 'Anansi and the Talking Cloth' with colorful illustration of a spider-like character.\"\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"btn-wrapper\"\u003e\u003ca class=\"product-btn\" href=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0750\/0101\/files\/anansi-and-the-talking-cloth-cover-hires.jpg.zip?v=1764096671\"\u003eDownload the Cover\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - - - - - ENTER AUTHOR BIO BELOW - - - - - - - - - --\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eAuthor \u0026amp; Illustrator\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCaroline Brewer, author\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCaroline Brewer is an award-winning children’s book author, artist, environmentalist, literacy consultant, and creator of Nature-Wise, a program for students and teachers that blends literacy and nature exploration. Caroline is also author and illustrator of \u003ci\u003eHarriet Tubman, Force of Nature\u003c\/i\u003e and author of \u003ci\u003eSay Their Names\u003c\/i\u003e. She lives in the Washington, DC, metro area. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"\/pages\/caroline-brewer\"\u003eRead more \u003c\/a\u003eabout Caroline.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eKwasi Asare, author\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eKwasi Asare was born in Nsawam, near the capital city of Accra, Ghana, and is one of Africa’s most prominent and accomplished weavers known for kente cloth, the highly prized Ghanaian cloth that traditionally symbolizes royalty, honor, and leadership. For the United Nations’ fiftieth anniversary in 1995, he created a new kente cloth design. Until 2017, it replaced the original cloth created by Kwasi’s father, A. E. Asare.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"\/pages\/kwasi-asare\"\u003eRead more \u003c\/a\u003eabout Kwasi.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - ENTER ILLUSTRATOR BIO BELOW - - - - - - - - - - - --\u003e \u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eEkua Holmes, illustrator\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEkua Holmes was awarded a Caldecott Honor, Coretta Scott King’s John Steptoe New Talent Illustrator Award, Robert Siebert Award, and Boston Globe–Horn Book award for \u003ci\u003eVoice of Freedom: Fannie Lou Hamer, Spirit of the Civil Rights Movement\u003c\/i\u003e, her first illustration project. She won the Coretta Scott King Award for Illustration twice: \u003ci\u003eOut of Wonder: Poems Celebrating Poets\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eStuff of Stars\u003c\/i\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"\/pages\/ekua-holmes\"\u003eRead more\u003c\/a\u003e about Ekua.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - - ENTER AWARDS \u0026 HONORS BELOW - - - - - - - - --\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eAwards \u0026amp; Honors\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eComing soon!\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - - - ENTER REVIEWS BELOW - - - - - - - - - --\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eEditorial Reviews\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublishers Weekly\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eBrewer, Kwasi Asare, and Holmes weave a vibrant folktale in which kente cloth prompts an exploration of artistry’s cultural value. In a “hip” metropolis, spider weavers craft kente, a “talking cloth” that “tells a wonderful story.” When the residents, including Chief Griot Anansi, begin to favor cheap machine-made fabric, the weavers abandon their looms, causing the once thriving city to lose its color and its verve. After relying on trickery to solve the crisis fails, Anansi, upon his wife’s suggestion, gathers the city together in song and celebration, publicly honoring the artisans whose work sustains the community’s spirit. Layered, lengthy verse emphasizes collaboration over cleverness, while illustrations rich with patterned textiles and silhouetted brown-skinned human and spider residents leverage the feel of intricate textiles. Steeped in Ghanaian culture and storytelling traditions, this is a thoughtful tribute to the enduring importance of honoring creative labor. Back matter includes creators’ notes.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003eBooklist\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eAnansi, the trickster spider, continues to spin his web of stories in this original, contemporary folktale set in a vibrant African city known for its talented kente-cloth weavers. Using their hands and feet in a “fascinating fever,” the skilled artisans create intricate textiles bursting with stunning greens, golds, and reds. Each color and complex pattern in the “talking cloth” contains cultural significance and wisdom, “telling us the truth, telling us how to live; telling us to stay strong, and how to give.” Some citizens, including Chief Griot Anansi, eschew the handcrafted fabric and wear machine-made fast-fashion. A cheap imitation, “this mock kente cloth has no storytelling past.” Feeling disparaged, the weavers go on strike and the city’s light dims until Anansi, with the help of his wife, Aso, comes up with a plan to show sincere appreciation. Caldecott Honoree Holmes’ brilliant collage illustrations are alive with colors, patterns, and textures. An author’s endnote explains the legend and history of Anansi and kente cloth. This rhythmic read-aloud picture book weaves an authentic tale honoring community and craft.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003eThe Horn Book\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eOne of Africa’s most iconic trickster 􀏐igures, Anansi the spider, is here reimagined in a modern tale set in a Ghanaian city renowned for its master weavers. The residents use vibrant colors and bold shapes to create kente, the “talking cloth,” which tells stories of the world and how it came to be: “God’s mouth— \/ telling us the truth; \/ telling us how to live; \/ telling us to stay strong, \/ and how to give.” But over time, cheaper and quicker-to-produce machine-made clothes begin to replace kente. The manufactured clothing, with “no storytelling past,” is increasingly worn by consumers—including Anansi!—and the city’s weavers stop weaving. Fast fashion also takes its toll on the earth itself: the sun is losing its shine; music and rainbows are less vibrant. When Anansi’s first attempt fails at getting the weavers to return, he consults his wise wife, Aso. Can she produce a solution to bring true kente and its creators back to the city? Brewer’s rhyming text, supported by kente consultant Asare, brings lyricism and cultural specificity to this contemporary original fable celebrating human creativity. Holmes’s textured collages weave their own narrative, with anthropomorphic spiders collaborating with insects and humans in richly patterned spreads. Back matter includes an author’s note about Anansi and the history of kente cloth as well as an illustrator’s reflection.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - - - - - ENTER DETAILS BELOW - - - - - - - - - - - --\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eDetails\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHardcover\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eISBN: 978-1-62354-421-8\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAges: 5–8\u003cbr\u003ePage count: 40\u003cbr\u003e9\u003csup\u003e1\u003c\/sup\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\/\u003c\/span\u003e\u003csub\u003e2\u003c\/sub\u003e x 9\u003csup\u003e1\u003c\/sup\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\/\u003c\/span\u003e\u003csub\u003e2\u003c\/sub\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003ePublication date: August 25, 2026\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n[\/TABS]"}