The Fire Children: A West African Folk Tale

Author: Eric Maddern

Stock information

General Fields

  • : 16.95 AUD
  • : 9781847806529
  • : Quarto Publishing Group UK
  • : Quarto Publishing Group UK
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  • : 0.272
  • : May 2015
  • : 270mm X 214mm
  • : United Kingdom
  • : 16.99
  • : May 2015
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  • : books

Special Fields

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  • :
  • : Eric Maddern
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  • : Paperback
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  • : Frane Lessac
  • : English
  • : 398.21
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  • :
  • : 32
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Barcode 9781847806529
9781847806529

Description

The first man and woman are lonely. What to do? They decide to fashion children out of clay. As they are baking the little figures in their fire, they're constantly interrupted by visits from the sky-god, Nyame. As a result, some of the children are pale and underdone, some are left in so long that they come out very dark, and the rest are every shade between. Frane Lessac's gorgeous gouache paintings, inspired by West African masks and pottery, and Eric Maddern's vivid text make this one of the most compelling of creation myths for young readers.

Awards

Shortlisted for Children's Book Award 1994.

Reviews

'An uplifting lightness of touch in the story-telling and a luminous intensity of colour in the illustrations.' The Guardian

Author description

ERIC MADDERN studied sociology and psychology at Sheffield University, then spent 10 years travelling around the world. He now performs all over the country as a storyteller and folk singer, and he has built a roundhouse in the grounds of his home, where he holds storytelling events. He lives in Gwnyedd, Wales. Eric's books for Frances Lincoln are Death in a Nut, Nail Soup, Cow on the Roof, Earth Story and Life Story, Fire Children, The King with Horse's Ears, Spirit of the Forest, Rainbow Bird, The King and the Seed and Curious Clownfish. FRANE LESSAC is an internationally known American artist who has exhibited her paintings in London, Paris, New York and Los Angeles. From film school in California she went on to study Caribbean culture on the island of Monserrat. She has illustrated over 30 books for children. In 2010 she was awarded The Muriel Barwell Award for Distinguished Service to Children's Literature. Frane lives in Fremantle, Australia.