There was plenty of energy, imagination, and movement inside the Whelan School on Monday as award-winning children's author Ada Ari brought her unique blend of storytelling, dance, and cultural exploration to classrooms full of eager young learners.
From the start of the session, Ari turned the space into an interactive journey across the globe. It began with a simple but important question: "Have you ever heard of Africa?"
Speaking to kindergarten students, Ari explained that Africa is not a city or a country but one of the world's continents. The students participated enthusiastically as they named other continents they recognized, like North America, Asia, and Europe. They then grounded themselves closer to home by identifying the United States as their own country.
Next, Ari took the students on a "virtual trip" to Ghana, a country in West Africa. The children repeated the country's name excitedly and quickly made connections across continents. Just like them, Ari noted, children in Ghana enjoy telling stories, playing with friends, and dancing—an observation that resonated with the young audience.
This connection came to life through movement. Ari taught the students the azonto, a popular dance from Ghana. The room echoed with laughter as the children practiced the dance’s signature moves, lifting a finger and moving to the beat, clapping and repeating “azonto” together. The activity was more than just fun; it was a hands-on cultural experience that made learning memorable and meaningful.
The excitement continued as Ari performed one of her storytelling pieces, drawing from a traditional African folktale. She introduced the students to a lively character, a spider named Nancy, also called Anansi, a well-known figure in West African folklore.
In the story, Nancy has short, sturdy legs and the unusual ability to balance eggs on her head. Nancy, like many young listeners, is easily distracted, especially by her friends. When her mother sends her to deliver bread to her grandmother, Nancy is told to go "straight there" without delay.
Ari involved the students in repeating the phrase "straight there yourself," emphasizing the core lesson of the story. As Nancy begins her journey, she quickly meets distractions, such as an ant building a sandcastle and a worm digging a tunnel. Each encounter takes her further off course, setting up the story for a theme of decisions, accountability, and obeying parents.
While telling the story, Ari asked the students to act out parts of the story, such as weaving spider webs or mimicking the characters’ movements. This made the story an interactive performance, not just a passive reading.
The story comes from Ari’s book, The Spider’s Thin Legs, which is a retelling of a popular African folktale with additional lessons in geography and culture. Ari aims for every single one of his books to be more than a story, including educational elements that teach children about specific African countries, customs and histories.
For Ari, visiting Whelan School is part of a larger mission. She is an educator, entrepreneur, and co-founder of KOLI & OLUM, dedicated to promoting diversity and inclusion in children’s literature. Her work focuses on bringing authentic African stories and cultural experiences to young audiences, expanding their perspectives and nurturing global awareness.
A Nigerian immigrant and mother, Ari often speaks about how her own children inspired her work. Determined to keep them connected to their heritage, she began creating stories and resources that reflected African cultures and languages, an effort that has since expanded to serve schools and communities across the United States.
Her “African Storytelling Reimagined” program, which she brought to Whelan School, emphasizes interactive learning through dance, storytelling, and engagement with cultural artifacts. This method not only captures students’ interest but also helps them to value the distinctness and shared humanity of cultures throughout the globe.
Besides teaching, Ari contributes through her writing. She gives a percentage of the profits from her books to orphanages in Africa, showing her dedication to cultural conservation and community support.
By the end of the visit, it was evident that Ari had left a lasting mark. Students left with new insights into continents and countries and a greater understanding of storytelling as a way to connect cultures.
Through rhythm, motion, and narrative, Ada Ari didn’t just tell a story- she built an experience that made the world a bit closer to home for the students of Whelan School.