Africa

Materials from Africa

Hatshepsut, His Majesty, Herself

This is an informative picturebook biography of Egypt’s only successful female pharaoh. Hatshepsut gained Egypt’s throne when all her male siblings — including the half brother whom she married — died. Originally named regent to her nephew, Tuthmosis III, Hatshepsut gradually assumed more and more power, and eventually had herself crowned pharaoh. Since no word existed for a female ruler, Hatshepsut used the male title. She also wore men’s clothing and a beard, and referred to herself as “he” as well as “she.”

Hatshepsut’s reign was a peaceful and prosperous one. She sent an expedition to explore Punt, an exotic land of riches, and built beautiful monuments, including a magnificent temple on which she had artists carve and paint scenes from her life and reign. Following her death, Tuthmosis III tried to erase evidence of Hatshepsut’s reign to make it seem as though he had succeeded his father directly.

Catherine M. Andronik explains how, despite this vandalism, archaeologists have been able to piece together the story of this unconventional pharaoh’s life.

Benin

This book provides a comprehensive look at the country of Benin which gained independence in 1961. Located between Nigeria and Togo, Benin is working to strengthen itself with a free press and a growing economy. The text offers chapters on the geography, the history, the formation of its new government and its structure, the economy, the environment, the people of Siera Leone, their religion and culture. The book is illustrated with color photography.

Planting the Trees of Kenya: The Story of Wangari Maathai

Wangari Maathai, winner of the 2004 Nobel Peace Prize and founder of the Green Belt Movement, grew up in the highlands of Kenya, where fig trees cloaked the hills, fish filled the streams, and the people tended their bountiful gardens. But over many years, as more and more land was cleared, Kenya was transformed. When Wangari returned home from college in America, she found the village gardens dry, the people malnourished, and the trees gone. How could she work to bring back the trees and restore the gardens and the people?

Akimbo And The Snakes

Akimbo can’t believe his luck when his father allows him to visit his uncle Peter’s snake park. And when a local village calls to report a sighting of a green mamba snake—the rarest and most deadly one of all—Akimbo hopes to help his uncle catch it for the park.  But little does he expect to find himself trapped face to face with the deadliest of reptiles. Bestselling novelist Alexander McCall Smith brings the majesty and dangers of Africa to life in this vividly imagined adventure for young readers.

Saying Good-bye: A Special Farewell to Mama Nkwelle

This deeply personal story looks at the stately Nigerian funeral for the author’s grandmother, said to be “the greatest traditional dancer of her generation,” as told by Onyefulu’s young son. “When Mama Nkwelle died, everyone came to say good-bye. Uncle Asika said it was a special good-bye. It took more days than I can count on my fingers.

Born For Adventure

When young Tom Ormsby cons his way onto the great explorer Henry Morton Stanley’s “Relief of Emin Pasha Expedition” in 1887, he’s looking for adventure. But he has no idea what lies ahead of him. From the exotic bazaars of Zanzibar to the mouth of the Congo River and beyond, Tom soon learns he’s signed on for more than the rescue of the mysterious Pasha. He’s on a journey through the ravishing beauty and brutality of a jungle world peopled by slavers, warring tribes, cannibals, and colonial masters – all jockeying for survival in 19th-century Africa. As Karr follows Tom’s remarkable three-year trek, she raised some provocative questions about slavery, the right of one country to impose its cultural imperatives on another, and the arrogance that can prevent a man from achieving his ultimate goal. Startling, scary, and surprising, this true story takes the reader deep into the heart of the African past.