Anansi's Party Time

Written by Eric A. Kimmel

Narrated by Jerry Terheyden

In this fifth book in the delightful series about the trickster spider, Anansi receives his comeuppance from Turtle.

When Anansi invites Turtle to a party just to trick him, Turtle finds his own hilarious way to exact his revenge. The droll humor and the bold, brightly colored illustrations combine for another hilarious tale.

A Live Oak Media audio production.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Live Oak Media
• Release date: Jan 1, 2011
• ISBN: 9781430115120

Eric A. Kimmel

Eric A. Kimmel has been writing for children for more than 40 years. His 100-plus titles include such classics as Anansi and the Moss-Covered Rock and The Chanukkah Guest. He lives in Portland, Oregon.

Reviews for Anansi's Party Time

[abigailadams26 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Still smarting from the trick that Turtle played on him in Anansi Goes Fishing, that celebrated arachnid trickster from West African lore decides to get his revenge. Inviting Turtle to a party, Anansi keeps adding conditions for attendance - wearing a costume, bringing a dish - just as his guest gets to his house, causing him to miss the party altogether. Turtle gets his own revenge in turn, inviting Anansi to an underwater party that eventually lands him (with the help of some balloons) on the moon...I have always loved Anansi stories, since first encountering them as a child, and I am always attracted to new tellings of them. Recently I have been reading the picture-book versions done by author Eric A. Kimmel and illustrator Janet Stevens, of which Anansi's Party Time is the fifth and final example. Unfortunately, although the story itself was very much in the classic Anansi tradition of the tricksters tricked, I was distracted by some of the non-traditional elements in the story, such as the use of balloons. I was also disappointed that Kimmel included no note as to his source material, leaving me to wonder whether this was a traditional tale at all, or an original one featuring a traditional character. There are tales of Anansi and the moon, but I am not familiar with those one, making the absence of a note particularly troubling. I'd still recommend this to those who enjoy Anansi stories, but I am unsure as to its provenance.

[tarakennedy · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Cute fable about the African god Anansi. Would be a good introduction to how people would create a story to explain natural phenomena they would observe around them. Reading Level: 1.6 Interest Level: K-3

[bmmander · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The story develops based on the turtle and spider going tit for tat over who is going to perform the next prank. Until the spider ends up on the moon, and he has no way to return. The open ended ending is superb, and it allows the children to create there own ending. Is there really a crab and/or spider on the moon causing it to not be perfectly round?

[ronicadibartolo · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Clever little book that has a twist at the end. I like books that get my daughter and nephew thinking. One animal in this book sends two animals to the moon. Better not mess with him!

[paigecostella · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Anansi and Turtle are best friends and like to play prank on one another. Anansi plays a prank on Turtle where he has to keep going home because he forget to bring the right stuff to her party. Turtle plans to get Anansi back, so he plans his own party underwater at his home. Anansi is a spider and cannot swim so she holds on to Crab to get to the party and to stay underwater. When Crab takes balloons him and Anansi are sent to the moon. Will they ever get back to Earth? This is a cute book to read to children about friendship and that playing pranks on your friends aren't always fun or nice. We need to treat others as we want to be treated.

[mrcmyoung · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Anansi invites Turtle to a non-existent party so turtle orchestrates an elaborate revenge plot that includes sending Anansi to the moon (along with poor, innocent Crab) to the moon with a bunch of party balloons. Though I enjoyed Stevens' artwork, this sequel lacks the traditional charm of Anansi and the Talking Melon, sacrificing story for contemporary children's birthday party elements and what was surely the publisher's demand for more money.