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AGES 0-4 • 10 pages • about 4 min to read together

Kweku Anansi finds a giant yam, tries to move it, and discovers that rolling can be much easier than pulling.

Read the story

Kweku Anansi discovers a giant brown bumpy yam in a sunny field.

PAGE 1 OF 10

Kweku Anansi was walking through the sunny fields. He looked down and saw something very big, very brown, and very bumpy. It was a giant yam! “Wow!” Kweku said. “This is the biggest yam I have ever seen!”

Kweku Anansi tries to pull the giant yam while Kofi the farmer smiles nearby.

PAGE 2 OF 10

Kweku wanted to take the yam home for dinner. He grabbed the top and pulled. Harrumph! He pulled and he puffed, but the yam was too heavy. Kofi the farmer walked by and smiled. “That is a very big vegetable for such a small boy, Kweku,” Kofi said.

Kweku Anansi thinks beside the giant yam after turning it on its side.

PAGE 3 OF 10

Kweku sat down to think. He was a very clever boy. He didn’t want to carry the yam; he wanted the yam to carry itself! He pushed the yam onto its side. Now, the round yam looked just like a giant wheel.

Kweku Anansi pushes the rolling yam as Adom the mouse peeks out of a hole.

PAGE 4 OF 10

Kweku gave the yam a little push. Roll, roll, roll! It moved across the grass very easily. Adom the little mouse popped her head out of a hole. “Squeak!” she cried. She had never seen a vegetable go for a walk before!

Kweku Anansi rolls the yam along a path while Efua the grasshopper rides on top.

PAGE 5 OF 10

Kweku began to whistle a happy tune. Rolling was much better than pulling! Efua the grasshopper saw the yam coming. Boing! Efua jumped right onto the top of the yam and took a ride. Kweku laughed as they moved along the path.

The yam rolls faster down a hill while Efua jumps into the tall grass.

PAGE 6 OF 10

Suddenly, the path started to go down a big hill. The yam began to roll faster and faster. Spin, spin, spin! Efua the grasshopper got dizzy and jumped off into the tall grass. “Oh no!” Kweku shouted. “Slow down, Mr. Yam!”

Kweku Anansi chases the runaway yam as it rolls toward a distant forest.

PAGE 7 OF 10

The yam was zooming now! It was a runaway vegetable! Kweku ran as fast as his legs could go. Pitter-patter, pitter-patter! He tried to catch the yam, but it was much too fast. It was rolling toward the big, dark forest!

Adom the mouse covers her eyes on a rock as the giant yam rolls past.

PAGE 8 OF 10

Adom the mouse watched from the top of a big rock. The yam went whoosh right past her nose. It was like a giant brown boulder! Adom covered her eyes with her tiny paws. “Where is it going?” she wondered.

The giant yam flies safely over bushes while Kweku watches in surprise.

PAGE 9 OF 10

The yam hit a small stone and flew into the air. Whoopee! It sailed over the bushes like a giant bird. Kweku stopped running and watched with his mouth wide open. He hoped his dinner would land safely.

The giant yam rests safely in a pile of leaves while Kweku and Kofi smile.

PAGE 10 OF 10

Plop! The yam landed right in the middle of a big, soft pile of leaves. It didn’t break or even get a bruise. Kofi the farmer caught up to Kweku and laughed. “Your clever plan worked, Kweku! Your dinner is already waiting for you!”

Talk about it together

What was your favourite part of the story?
What do you think Anansi learned?
What would you have done differently?

ABOUT THIS TALE

Anansi (Kwaku Ananse) is the clever spider of Ashanti folklore from Ghana. These tales were told aloud for generations and travelled the world with the Akan people. This is an original retelling that keeps the wit and warmth of the tradition alive for young readers.