Why the Sky is Far Away:
A Nigerian Folktale
by Mary-Joan Gerson

In the beginning, the sky was so close to the earth that anyone - even children - could reach up, take a piece of the sky, and eat it. It was delicious, too. Sometimes it tasted like roasted corn, sometimes like meat stew, and sometimes like ripe pineapple.

Simply told, yet filled with rich and beautiful imagery, Mary-Joan Gerson's adaptation of this fascinating pourquoi tale is the perfect match for Carla Golembe's striking pictures. With a unique technique of monotype, collages, and oil pastels, the artist brings to life the colors, patterns, and ceremonies of ancient Africa and brilliantly recreates for children this timely Nigerian story of our eternal connection to the earth.