Trickster extraordinaire Anancy the Spider can’t help bragging that his adventures are bigger and better than everyone else’s. When his little spider friends throw him a big beach party in the shadow of a haunted house, Anancy tells them that he’s not afraid of anything – not even the giant rooster who dances on the table every night at midnight. He boasts that he’ll show them how brave he is and even promises to teach that rooster a dance step or two. But once Anancy’s inside, his boastful bravado begins to unravel, and ultimately it’s only with the help of all his friends that he’s able to best the rooster.

Storyteller and writer Richardo Keens-Douglas has created an original picture book focusing on some of the best and worst traits of this celebrated African-Caribbean trickster figure. He’s managed to capture in his text the subtle nuances of the oral tradition that these stories come from. But unlike the traditional folk hero, his Anancy doesn’t draw on his own resourcefulness to get out of a tight jam. There’s nothing wrong with getting a little help from your friends, but in going against the grain of the traditional folk character, Anancy isn’t quite the clever figure he needs to be.

Stéphane Jorisch’s buoyant watercolour and pencil illustrations, however, capture the essence of Anancy beautifully and redress the imbalance, making him seem larger than life. With his bulbous red nose, huge clownlike grin, and red and blue legs, Anancy takes his rightful place, centre-stage, bedecked in top hat and natty multicoloured coat.