Differentiated Math Fact Practice

Making Ten

4th Grade Resources

We Love Books!

This week I'm linking up with Deanna Jump to share a favorite book.
One of my favorite books to read during the year is "The Royal Drum: An Ashanti Tale", published by MONDO publishing, it is a book full of vibrant pictures and rebus characters interwoven with text.  This is a traditional tale from the Ashaniti a Tribe in Ghana, Western Africa.  The main character of the tale is Anansi the spider, considered the God of knowledge in Ashanti folk lore.  There are many stories woven around this wise spider.  In many parts of West Africa, Anansi sometimes looks like an ordinary spider, and sometimes looks more like a human with arachnid characteristics.
In this iteration of the legend the animals of the jungle have a problem:  How to gather all of the animals together to meet in a more efficient manner.  It takes the animals much too long to gather together.  What can they do to gather more quickly?  Anansi has an idea: Make a Royal Drum!
All of the animals work very hard to make this drum for the community, all except for lazy, lazy monkey!  Monkey is tasked with the difficult job of carrying the drum at the end because of his laziness.

I love this story for so many reasons.  There is just so much that can be done with this story.  

1)  During carpet time, I read as students call out the name of animals on the cue of the rebus characters.
2) This story lends itself to conversations about story elements.   There are clear characters, setting, problem and a solution.
3) During small group time, I have a group of students read the text and assign other students to specific animals.
4)  We create puppets by tracing   the animals.  I copy them on card stock and have students color them.  I them glue them on craft sticks.  We either play the song or have a student read the story as the rest of the class acts out the story with their puppets.   (I wish I had taken pictures that last time I did this)  I'm going to look for a pic!

You may purchase this book at Amazon.com:

2 comments

  1. Oooh, this would be a fun one to accompany the easy reader "Hand, Hand, Fingers, Thumb!". I have never seen this story before and have something new to add to my Amazon list:) Check out my choice for the week at: SweetSchoolMoments

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  2. This looks like such a fun book, thanks for sharing!

    Love to Learn

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