The Primary English Encyclopedia: The Heart of the Curriculum, Third Edition
See also Bible the, myths, sacred texts, traditional tales
Creation stories are tales about the origin of the earth and all its physical features, people and creatures. In that these stories deal with and try to explain a great human concern – how did we begin? – they can be broadly placed with myths. We learn much about a culture different from our own by reading its creation stories. But a sensitive approach is needed and indeed ‘myths and legends which carry a culture’s religious beliefs will be handled and presented differently from a light hearted folk tale’ (p. 27, A Multicultural Guide to Children’s Books).
If you want a beautifully illustrated story about why day follows night I recommend The Coming of the Night: a Yoruba creation myth from West Africa retold by James Riordan (Frances Lincoln, 1999).
Creation stories are included in Anita Ganeri’s collection Out of the Ark: stories from the world’s religions (Macdonald, 1994). Ann Pilling keeps the flavour of the oral tradition in her retellings in Creation: Stories from Around the World (Walker Books, 1997). I was encouraged to seek out When the World Began: Stories collected in Ethiopia told by Elisabeth Laird and illustrated by Yosef Kebede, Emma Harding, Griselda Holderness and Lydia Monks (Oxford University Press) when I noticed Valerie Coghlan’s very positive review in Books for Keeps (2001, No. 124, p. 25). As Coghlan points out, the vivid stories give us a glimpse into ‘foibles of human nature common to people of all nationalities’. It also communicates to children the strong story telling tradition of Ethiopia.
Ted Hughes’ How the Whale Became and Other Stories is a classic for younger children while older primary children enjoy the intriguing stories in print and on tape in his anthology The Dream-fighter and Other Creation Tales (Faber and Faber).
Stones, Rosemary (ed.) (1999) A Multicultural Guide to Children’s Books London: Books for Keeps.
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