In the Land of Animals

Stories for Moral Development: An African Perspective

This book In the Land of Animals is one out of seven story series on early moral development for young children. In traditional African communities in general, among Igbos in particular, folktales are used for moral development during the early years of life. Animals of various characters are used in creating stories for moral development. These stories are used for illustrating real life experiences. The characters and behaviors of animals in these stories help children understand basic moral principles like respect for elders, responsibility for self and other important relationships within the community. During storytelling time, children are encouraged to generate their own answers to various moral questions posed through the stories.

Story time is a very important event and children are expected to give their undivided attention to the storyteller. How attentive the children are determines how much they will understand from the story. In addition to the moral lessons from the story, the storyteller uses this opportunity to observe how much attention children pay to their parents, teachers, and significant adults in their lives.