Why The Sky Is Far Away: A Nigerian Folktale

Wastefulness, gluttony, and responsibility are the main themes of Mary-Joan Gerson's retelling of this Nigerian tale of how humans lost the luxury of "eating the sky." Along with the story, which is meaningful and thought-provoking, the artwork featured in the book is lively and vibrant, to say the least. The various techniques and styles used to create the illustrations blend together and form a seemingly authentic experience. ( )

Hynes Library:
An african folktale about the people's greed and the resuting punishment. Very simpliestic illustrations portray a wonderful tale with a strong moral about saving mother earth. ( )

Summary: This is a Nigerian folktale story. In the beginning the sky was close to earth. The men and women did not have to crow crops and harvest them. If anyone was hungry they would just reach up and took a piece of sky and ate it. The sky tasted like different foods. The sky grew angry because people were being wasteful. People would take more than they could eat and threw away leftovers. So the sky told the leader of the palace do no waste my gifts or they will no longer be yours. The people were careful for some time. During the greatest festival of the year, there was a woman who took too much sky, and she did not finish it. She threw the leftover in the garbage. The sky told the people you have not treated me with respect now I leave you and move far away. From that day on, men, women, and children had to grow their own food.

Personal Reaction: This story reminds me of when I was little I was always told to finish my food on my plate. There are many children who go hungry every night. So now I tell my children if you get something to eat to finish it and not waste it.

Extension ideas: 1. You can encourage your class to care for the planet by starting a recycling project. 2. You can ask your students if their family has extra can goods to bring them to school and share with a shelter.

This a great childrens book that is adapted from a Nigerian Folktale. The beautifully illustrated book explain why the sky is so far away. The sky was once really close and tasted delicious to eat so the greedy people of the world began to cut it up and eat. No one knew when to stop so the sky moved far away. This story would be great in a pre-k through second grade class. This book would be great in a classroom to:
-introduce kids to a lesson on greed
-talk about the wonderful illustrations
-talk about the different part of the world that the book is set
-learn about folktales
-have kids make up their own folktales

This folklore begins describing that in the beginning the sky was very close, and people did not have to harvest crops or hunt for food. They just ate from the sky. They became wasteful, and the sky went far away, forcing the people to work for their own food. I LOVED this tale. In the author's note, it states how this was told 500 years ago. A lot of us are trying to be green, and it is amazing that back then, this was the message too. I would not only use this to teach my students conserve energy, but also to be mindful on not wasting things. Recycling, growing your own garden, and using less power in the house are simple ways to create a greener planet. The illustrations were beautiful too. Monotypes were used, and the colors are so beautiful and vivid. I loved the reds and blues they used throughout the story. ( )