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.

About the Author
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.

To visit Eric Maddern's website click here

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 worked on many children's projects to date.

Reviews

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

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

Awards
Short-listed for Children's Books of the Year 1994 (UK) and Junior Education Books of the Year 1993 (UK).



Book Information
ISBN 9781847806529
Author Eric Maddern
Format Paperback
Page Count 32
Imprint Frances Lincoln Children's Books
Publisher Quarto Publishing PLC