Eric A. Kimmel

Anansi the Spider is hungry, and Elephant's patch of ripe, juicy melons looks too good to resist. Using his sharp tools, Anansi easily burrows his way inside the biggest melon of the bunch and eats until his stomach is completely round. But when it is time to leave, the little spider realizes he has grown too fat to squeeze back out through the tiny hole. Trapped inside his delicious snack, Anansi realizes he has to use his brains to escape. When Elephant strolls by, the sneaky spider decides to have a little fun. He disguises his voice and starts speaking from inside the fruit, convincing the mighty Elephant that he has discovered a magical talking melon. Elephant is so astounded that he decides to carry the spectacular talking fruit directly to the king, gathering a parade of curious animals along the way. This laugh out loud trickster tale proves that being small does not mean you cannot outsmart the biggest animals in the jungle. Readers will love watching Anansi spin his hilarious web of lies, tricking everyone from the powerful elephant to the royal king just to get himself out of a sticky situation.