In his introduction, Ashley Bryan tells us that he grew up hearing proverbs from his parents so they’ve always been a part of his life, as is common with many people. As a scholar of traditional literature, he began to collect proverbs he found in African sources and for this volume he has selected 26 from several cultural groups on the African continent. His selections are both culturally specific and universal: e.g. “Treat your guest as a guest for two days; on the third day, give him a hoe.” (Swahili) Some are a bit more mysterious and will inspire children to think about their meaning: “Never try to catch a black cat at night.” (Krahn) Each proverb is illustrated with a tempera and gouache painting that uses brightly colored geometric shapes outlined in white for a stained-glass effect. (Ages 5-9)

Ashley Bryan says, "My mother had a proverb for any situation, attitude, or event." Many of us have had the same experience. But have you ever heard, "As a crab walks, so walk its children" or "A log may lie in the water for ten years, but it will never become a crocodile"? These are two of the twenty-six African proverbs Ashley Bryan has chosen to illustrate in this book.
Having grown up with proverbs, it was no surprise to Mr. Bryan when he began reading African literature to find African proverbs along with African stories. The proverbs grew out of the lives and experiences of the varied African peoples.
Each proverb here is credited to a specific tribe, yet, as Ashley Bryan explains, most were known in other tribes as well. And in fact, all are true for people everywhere. We may not see crabs often, but we understand about crab children, and even people who do not have crocodiles nearby know that they do not begin as logs. This is a book to treasure for its rich universal wisdom and its gloriously evocative illustrations.