Chinese Folktale: The Story of Afanti

The Story of Afanti, is based on the award-winning animation film with the same title.

The Afanti stories are known throughout the Middle East and have touched cultures around the world. Superficially, most of the Afanti stories may be told as jokes or humorous anecdotes. They are told and retold endlessly in Asia and can be heard in homes and on the radio.

There has to be more than just humor to make it an Afanti tale. There is the joke, followed by a moral — and usually the little extra which brings the consciousness of the potential mystic a little further on the way to realization.

It depends on the area from where the modern tales come. Tales originating in China depict Afanti as a hero that he is campaigning for the oppressed, bullying rulers and those who abuse their authority.

The charming illustrations and graphic design help engage young children and compliment this well-known Chinese folktale. The pictures are big enough for a small story time and kids will find plenty to look at in one-to-one sharing.

The book comes with Chinese characters and the Pinyin (phonetic transcriptions), making it an excellent means of learning elementary Chinese. The book ends with a Q & A, which helps parents engage their children in a discussion about the story.