Africa

Materials from Africa

Here Comes Our Bride!: An African Wedding Story

The stunning sights and sounds of a Nigerian wedding are vividly brought to life in Ifeoma Onyefulu’s new picture book. The different traditions and customs of this African wedding are explored and explained through the eyes of one young spectator. We see the preparations made by the whole community in anticipation of the traditional African ceremony and second religious ceremony.

Africa Is My Home

“Sarah Margru Kinson, as she came to be known, was only nine years old when she was taken from her home in Africa and brought to Cuba, where she and fifty-two other captives, including three other children, were sold and taken aboard the Amistad. The Africans revolted and took over the ship, but were later captured and put on trial, a trial that went all way to the Supreme Court and was argued in the Africans’ favor by John Quincy Adams, allowing them to return home to Africa. Here is that extraordinary story as told by one of those children. A fictionalized account.”–Jacket flap.

My Name Is Blessing

Based on a true story about a young Kenyan boy whose mother left him but had named him Muthini which meant suffering because he was born with no fingers on his left hand and only two on his right. Many times he was made fun of or avoided which hurt him deeply. He lives with his very elderly grandmother, his Nyanya, along with many cousins whose parents had either died or left them. They are extremely poor and there is never enough money or food, but plenty of love. A difficult choice must be made and Muthini is the youngest child and needs to have a better chance in life, so his Nyanya takes him to an orphanage where he is blessed and his name is changed to Baraka which means blessing for he was a blessing just as his grandmother always knew.

Mee-An and the Magic Serpent

When Assa finds her beautiful sister Mee-An the perfect mate, the two sisters go off to live with him, only to discover that he is not at all what he seems to be.

My Father’s Shop

Despite his father’s wishes, a Moroccan carpet seller’s son doesn’t want to learn foreign languages, but when trying to make a rooster crow in a crowded, tourist-filled market, he inadvertently learns how roosters crow in many countries.

Tug-of-War

Hare, Hippopotamus, and Elephant all live together in the forest. But often, when Hippopotamus and Elephant have nothing better to do, they tease Hare and say horrid things to him. When Hare finally gets fed up with them, he conceives a plan: he will challenge each of the massive creatures to a tug-of-war competition. On either side of the trees, Elephant and Hippopotamus pull and tug all through the night, incredulous that Hare could be so strong!

War Brothers: The Graphic Novel

The unforgettable story of a child soldier. When fourteen-year-old Jacob is brutally abducted and forced to become a child soldier, he struggles to hold on to his sanity and the will to escape. Daniel Lafrance’s striking artwork and the poignant, powerful text capture the very essence of life as a child soldier. Readers will never forget the experiences of this young boy struggling to survive, unsure who to trust, afraid of succumbing to madness, and above all, desperate to get to freedom. In the end, Jacob engineers a daring escape. This graphic novel is based on the acclaimed novel of the same title, winner of a 2009 Arthur Ellis award. The author spent time in Uganda and based this story on real-life accounts of the horrors inflicted on child soldiers and their victims.

Nelson Mandela

In this picture book biography, award-winning author and illustrator Kadir Nelson tells the story of Mandela, a global icon, in poignant free verse and glorious illustrations. It is the story of a young boy’s determination to change South Africa, and of the struggles of a man who eventually became the president of his country by believing in equality for all people, no matter the color of their skin. Readers will be inspired by Mandela’s triumph and his lifelong quest to create a more just world.

An author’s note at the back retells the story of Mandela’s fight against apartheid in simple prose, and takes the story further, including Mandela’s Nobel Peace Prize. A short bibliography lists additional sources for readers who want to find out more.