ALGERIAN FOLKTALES

ProMosaik Children is an initiative of ProMosaik, founded by Milena Rampoldi in Istanbul. The editor-in-chief, Maria Traoré, a translator and teacher collaborates with ProMosaik Children and publishes childrens books to promote intercultural dialogue.
African folktales are a rich oral tradition used for entertainment, storytelling, and teaching moral lessons. Unlike Western fairy tales, they rarely end with the phrase "they lived happily ever after"; instead, they often feature trickster animals (such as Anansi the spider), explain natural phenomena, and teach lessons about proper behaviour.
The features of African folklore can be described as follows: African myths and legends span thousands of different ethnic groups, so their plots and characters are incredibly diverse. These stories often bring the forces of nature to life, explain the origins of humans or animals, and serve as important educational tools for the children listening to them or reading them. African fairy tales and fables are also full of humour and wisdom, and some stories touch on themes of survival and respect for the environment.
Folktales were never intended merely to be read—they are a living art form with its own unique language, incorporating masks, music (percussion), and active audience participation.
The objective pursued by ProMosaik Children is the diffusion of tales from Africa in Europe. Translation is very important in this project as it builds bridges between languages, cultures, and people.
In this volume we introduce folktales from Algeria in English.