Africa

Materials from Africa

The Lost Boys of Sudan

This book presents accounts of narrow escapes executed by oppressed individuals and groups while illuminating social issues and the historical background that led to wars in Sudan and the orphaned refugees known as the ‘Lost Boys’.

Never Forgotten

This gorgeous picture book by Newbery Honor winner Patricia C. McKissack and two-time Caldecott Medal-winning husband-and-wife team Leo and Diane Dillon is sure to become a treasured keepsake for African American families. Set in West Africa, here is a lyrical story-in-verse about a young black boy who is kidnapped and sold into slavery, which will remind children that their slave ancestors should never be forgotten, and that family is more important than anything else.

Only The Mountains Do Not Move

Nobody can say he is settled anywhere forever;
it is only the mountains which do not move from their places.
So goes a Maasai proverb, and so goes the lives of the Maasai in Africa. For hundreds of years they have moved with their herds of cattle and goats across thousands of miles in Kenya and Tanzania.

Today the Maasai face new challenges. Their traditional way of life is threatened, lands are overgrazed, and wildlife is in danger. Maasai tribes are meeting these obstacles head-on adapting their lives and agricultural practices while keeping their vibrant, close-knit culture alive.

Award-winning author-photographer Jan Reynolds presents a striking glimpse of these dynamic people. Only the Mountains Do Not Move shows one Maasai tribe’s remarkable ability to forge a delicate balance between the richness of the past and the needs of the future.

A Stork in a Baobab Tree: An African Twelve Days of Christmas

Set in Africa during the Christmas season, this is the story of a village preparing for a celebration – the birth of a child. The story is told in verse inspired by the traditional carol The Twelve Days of Christmas, but in this version by the author Catherine House the gifts are: 1 stork in a baobab tree, 2 thatched huts, 3 woven baskets, 4 market traders, 5 bright khangas, 6 women pounding, 7 children playing, 8 wooden carvings, 9 grazing goats, 10 drummers drumming, 11 dancers dancing and 12 storytellers. This is a Christmas steeped in the atmosphere of African village life, including descriptions of the objects and activities mentioned in the text.

How the Leopard Got His Claws

In the beginning, all the animals lived as friends.  The leopard, their king was strong but gentle and wise.  Only the dog had sharp teeth, and only the dog scoffed at the animals plan to build a common shelter for gathering out of the rain.  but when the dog was flooded out of his own cave, he attacked the leopard and took over as king.  It was only then that the leopard returned with a new roar, sharp claws, and shining teeth, life for the animals would never be the same.

In this riveting fable for young readers, Nigerian writer Chinua Achebe, author of Things Fall Apart, evokes themes of liberation and justice that echo his novels about post-colonial Africa.  Glowing with vibrant color, Mary GrandPre’s expressive and action-filled paintings bring this unforgettable tale dramatically to life.

Christophe’s Story

Life has been very lonely for Christopher. The young Rwandan refugee is having trouble getting used to his new school, new language, and new life. Worst of all, he misses his grandfather who had to be left behind. His teacher persuades Christophe to share his story with his classmates — so he tells them of the terrifying day the soldiers came to his house and killed his baby brother. The spoken story fills the air and his classmates are spellbound. But when his teacher asks him to write it down and read it out at an assembly, Christophe is horrified. In his culture, it is believed that once a story is written down, it loses its potency. Will Christophe find a way to break through the barriers and share his story?

Refugee Boy

Fourteen-year-old Alem Kelo adjusts to life as a foster child seeking asylum in London, while his Eritrean mother and Ethiopian father work for peace between their homelands in Africa.

One Day We Had to Run! Refugee Children Tell Their Stories in Words and Paintings

In an anthology of words and drawings compiled by a United Nations relief worker, refugee children from Somalia, the Sudan, and Ethiopia share their feelings about their loss of their homes and their families.