When sent to retrieve their master’s magic ring from Spider Ananse, Okra the cat and Okraman the dog prove their true worth in this beautifully illustrated tale from acclaimed illustrator Ashley Bryan.

In this story within a story, when the jealous Spider Ananse steals a ring from Aku, Aku’s dog and cat join him on many adventures to retrieve it. While in the end they are successful, Okra, the cat, proves to have been the more capable companion while the dog gets into troubles of his own, and this is why dogs now sleep and eat on the ground, while cats get the best bed in the house and tasty treats.

Ashley Bryan (1923–2022) grew up to the sound of his mother singing from morning to night, and he shared the joy of song with children. A beloved illustrator, he was named a Newbery Honoree for his picture book, Freedom Over Me. He also received the Coretta Scott King—Virginia Hamilton Lifetime Achievement Award, the Laura Ingalls Wilder Award, was a May Hill Arbuthnot lecturer, a Coretta Scott King Award winner, and the recipient of countless other awards and recognitions. His books include Freedom Over Me; Sail Away; Beautiful Blackbird; Beat the Story-Drum, Pum Pum; Let It Shine; Ashley Bryan’s Book of Puppets; and What a Wonderful World. He lived in Islesford, one of the Cranberry Isles off the coast of Maine.