The Orphan Girl and Other Stories: West African Folk Tales (International Folk Tales)
Kent State professor and storyteller Offodile gathered these  folktales, some familiar and some new, from Nigeria (his  homeland) and other West African countries. His goal was to  collect the stories of the elders before they were completely  forgotten. Offodile introduces the collection with a brief  discussion of the varied cultures of the region and the function  of both story and teller in these societies. The tales are then  arranged by country in alphabetical order, each section  beginning with a map showing the country's continental location  and a page of basic information on its geography and society.  There are far more stories from Offodile's native Nigeria than  from anywhere else, but the entire region is represented. A  glossary and an index of stories by subject is included.  Recommended as a solid edition of folktale collections for  public and academic libraries, this is also appropriate for  middle and high school libraries. Katherine Kaigler-Koenig,  Ellis Sch., PittsburghCopyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.