Before books and screens, stories traveled by voice, generation to generation. Stories that crossed the ocean from West and Central Africa to the Americas, where Anansi the Spider became Bruh Nansi, a small but clever spider who could outsmart those bigger than him. From trickster tales to origin stories, like how frog lost his tail and mole lost his eyes, these are the tales Black families in America told for generations. This shadow puppet set is a fun (and screen-free!) way to bring them right into your kids' hands.

What's Included 11 shadow puppets, each representing a character from a Black American folktale, plus the four stories they come from:

Bruh Rabbit and Wild Hog

+ Bruh Rabbit

+ Wild Hog

+ Mouse

+ Snake

+ Tortoise

How Brother Rabbit Fooled Elephant and Whale

+ Brother Rabbit

+ Elephant

+ Whale

Bruh Nansi and the Pot of Wisdom

+ Bruh Nansi

+ Rabbit

Why Frog Has Eyes and Mole Does Not

+ Frog

+ Mole

Also included is a digital storybook with the full retelling of each tale, so you can read the stories together before (or after) the show.

Great for Speech & Language Development

Retelling a story out loud is exactly the kind of play speech-language pathologists and early childhood teachers often reach for: giving each character their own voice, acting out what happens next, and putting events in the right order. Shadow puppets give kids a low-pressure, hands-on way to practice sequencing, vocabulary, and expressive language, all while having fun with a story.

Why These Stories Matter?

Most of the folktales kids grow up on come from Europe, and those are fun too! But we love introducing kids to a different cast of characters: clever rabbits, sly foxes, and stubborn alligators from a storytelling tradition that started in West Africa and grew right here along the Gullah Geechee Sea Islands and the Deep South. A few of these tales are even in danger of being forgotten, so every time one gets told again, it gets to stick around a little longer.

How to Use: Just a flashlight, a plain wall or sheet, and your child's own two hands. It's a fun, screen-free activity for family story nights or a homeschool unit on Black American history, geography, and folklore.

Details

11 puppets, each between 2 - 6 inches wide and 2 - 4 inches long

Made from heavy card stock

Includes a digital storybook (PDF), delivered instantly at checkout

Recommended for ages 0 - 111

Ships within 3- 5 days