A boastful strong man learns a lesson harder than his muscles when he encounters one of Nigeria’s superheroes in this Hausa tale which explains the origin of thunder.
Africa
Materials from Africa
Quick, Slow, Mango!
Kidogo the elephant’s mother is always urging him to hurry up, while PolePole the monkey’s mother cautions her to slow down, but together they learn that slow and fast can both be good.
Anna Hibiscus’ Song
Anna Hibicus is so filled with happiness that she feels like she might float away. And the more she talks to her mother and father and grandfather and grandmother and aunties and cousins about it, the more her happiness grows! There’s only one thing to do. Sing!
See the review at WOW Review, Volume IV, Issue 4
Vasco da Gama: Quest for the Spice Trade
Each colorful book in this series describes what an explorer’s life was really like on an expedition, from what they wore to what they ate, and includes colorful maps and images showing the areas explored; a look at the political climates of various countries that made explorers venture out into the unknown; and an examination of how explorers lived while on the high seas, on the trail, or in the encampment.
Limpopo Lullaby
In 2000, as Mozambique was ravaged by floods, many people found that their only choice was to take shelter in trees. In one tiny village a woman, stuck with her family in a tree, was about to give birth. The remarkable story of this woman and her miraculous child is the inspiration for Limpopo Lullaby.Jane Jolly’s lyrical prose captures the rhythms of village life while Dee Huxley’s vibrant pastels portray nature in all her moods, ranging from brooding skies to swirling floodwaters to a glimpse of sun.
Nzingha: Warrior Queen Of Matamba, Angola, Africa, 1595 (The Royal Diaries)
Presents the diary of 13-year-old Nzingha, a 16th-century West African princess who loves to hunt and hopes to lead her kingdom one day against the invasion of the Portuguese slave traders.
How Many Spots Does A Leopard Have: And Other Tales
An illustrated collection of twelve folk tales, ten African and two Jewish.
Broken Memory
Hiding behind the old sofa, five-year-old Emma does not witness the murder of her mother, but she hears everything. And when the assassins finally leave, the young Tutsi girl somehow manages to stumble away from the scene, motivated only by the memory of her mother’s last words: “You must not die, Emma!” Taken in by an old Hutu woman, Mukecuru, Emma is still haunted by nightmares long after the war ends. When the country establishes gacaca courts to allow victims to face their tormenters in their villages, Emma is uneasy and afraid. But through her growing friendship with a young torture victim and the gentle encouragement of an old man charged with helping child survivors, Emma finds the courage to return to the house where her mother was killed and begin the journey to healing.
See the review at WOW Review, Volume 3, Issue 4
The Black Dot
Children wake up one morning and find a black dot on their playground. When it isn’t easily removed, each has a different way of coping with it.
There are no currently English translations of this Arabic text available.
See the review at WOW Review, Volume 3, Issue 4
Sure As Sunrise: Stories Of Bruh Rabbit and His Walkin’ Talkin’ Friends
With the humor and wisdom of her North Carolina roots, Alice McGill shares the stories she remembers from her father, mother, grandmother, and neighbors. Her telling is as fresh as “a loaf of bread still warm from the ashes” as she brings to life the creatures that so fascinated her as a child: Bruh Rabbit, Sis Possum, Bruh Bear, and Bruh Fox. Illustrated with zest and warmth, these stories were passed on for generations and are, ultimately, a celebration of the human spirit. For as sure as sunrise, the cleverness of the small but sassy Bruh Rabbit shines through as he outwits the more powerful, again and again.
Aesop Accolades (Awards)