September 2009
I have received a number of requests for a list of recommended children’s books about Africa. This is not an area of expertise for me, however I guess I have read quite a few books over the years and so will make up this initial list, hoping that I shall add to the list and gradually improve it as I read more and get feedback from teachers and librarians.
This is a selection of books, both fiction and non-fiction, which are either about various countries in Africa or have characters who come from Africa. The books listed are for both Elementary and Secondary levels. Please take the recommended age levels as a rough guide.
All prices are in Australian dollars and include 10% GST tax. However this GST does not apply to exports from Australia.
If you would like to order any of the books on the list, send the orders to Austral Ed by post, fax or by email. Payment can be made by direct bank transfer or bank cheques in Australian dollars or by Credit card especially for private purchases. Freight is sent by the most economical method within Australia or overseas, depending on urgency.
Recommended by Kate Shepherd
Picture Books
Verna Aardema
Bringing the Rain to Kapiti Plain (1981) pictures by Beatriz Vidal pb $18.95
This classic picture book is based on a traditional story from Kenya about a drought on the Kapiti Plain. The story is told in verse, similar to the cumulative nursery rhyme “the House that Jack Built”. Beautifully illustrated showing the native animals of the Kapiti Plain and also the domesticated cows of the herders. (4 – 10 years)
Maya Angelou
My painted House, My Friendly Chicken and Me photographs by Margaret Courtney-Clarke pb $18.95 Told in the words of Thandi an 8 year old Ndebele girl from South Africa, this is an engaging portrait of Thandi, her mischievous little brother and the importance in the lives the people of the village of the vibrant paintings on their houses and colourful beads and embroidery which they love to wear. A lively rhythmic text and beautiful photographs make this picture book a delight. (6 – 9 years)
Selby B Beeler
Throw Your Tooth on the Roof: Tooth Traditions from Around the World illus by G Brian Karas pb $14.95 This is a fascinating book as it describes traditions of what children from around the world do with their baby teeth that have fallen out. A common tradition in many countries from Africa to Asia to Europe is to throw the tooth onto or over the roof of their house. (6 – 9 years)
Eileen Browne
Handa’s Hen pb $15.95 Big Book $39.95
When Handa searches for Mondi the black hen, she finds two fluttery butterflies and then three stripy mice and other animals till they finally find Mondi the hen and her ten chicks. A charming story that is a counting book and also shows us about life and the animals in a Kenyan village.
Also Handa’s Surprise How can Handa stop the animals from stealing the seven delicious fruit she is carrying? pb $15.95 Big Book $39.95
Kathryn Cave
One Child, One Seed: A South African Counting Book pb $15.95 Big Book $39.95
A counting book which describes how an African girl plants and looks after a pumpkin and also shows her life in a South African village. (6 – 9 years)
Niki Daly
Where’s Jamela? pb $15.95
Jamela is not happy about shifting to a new house in a new neighbourhood but when they shift in and Jamela looks out of the window she is reassured by the sight of the same stars in the night sky. A story set in a lively black South African neighbourhood. (5 – 8 years)
Other titles about Jamela are Happy Birthday, Jamela! pb $15.95, Jamela’s Dress pb $15.95 and What’s Cooking Jamela? pb $15.95
Not So Fast Songololo pb $15.95 is also set in South Africa and describes a lively young boy going shopping with this elderly grandmother.
The Day of Ahmed’s Secret by Florence Parry Heide illustrated by Ted Lewin pb $16.95 Ahmed is pleased with himself as he goes about Cairo’s bustling streets delivering gas bottles to his many customers who call out his name and greet him. He is very much a part of the life of this colourful and noisy city and he is proud that he is helping earn money to support his family. And his secret is that he has learned to write his name.
Laurie Krebs
We All Went on Safari A Counting Journey through Tanzania illustrated by Julia Cairns hardback $27.95 pb $13.00
This is a delightfully illustrated counting book which, as well counting up to ten in numbers and in Swahili, introduces us to some of the wonderful African animals of the grasslands of Tanzania. This bright and lively counting book also serves as a very helpful introduction to this African country with information about the animals and the names of the children. (4 - 10 years)
Virginia Kroll
Masai and I illustrated by Nancy Carpenter pb $16.95
A young girl from the city imagines how different her life would be if she were a Masai living on the East African plains. On each double page spread of this picture book, the illustration blends and links the two ways of life. For example, the sheet the girl spreads to make her bed merges on the opposite page into the cowhide spread on the bare earth of the Masai dwelling. An extra dimension to the story is given to the story because the girl and her family are black and she is exploring her feelings of kinship with the Masai. (6 - 10 years)
Kaitie Afrika Litchfield
The Little One: The Story of a Red-tailed Monkey pb $17/00
When Kaitie was only four years old she lived in Uganda with her mother who was a scientist and was working at a sanctuary for orphaned chimpanzees. When a baby orphaned Red-tailed monkey was brought to the sanctuary, Katie became the tiny monkey’s mum. She describes how she looked after him and how they and the dog and the cat all played together. The simply written text is written by Kaitie herself and is very engaging. There is an additional page of information on Red-tailed monkeys and how their habitat is being threatened. This is an appealing story with excellent photos that young children will really enjoy. (5 – 8 years)
Onyefulu Ifeoma
A is for Africa pb $15.95 Big Book $39.95
A very informative, beautifully photographed alphabet book giving readers an introduction to the cultural background and everyday life of village life in Nigeria. Onyefulu Ifeoma believes that these images reflect the rich diversity of Africa as a whole.
Chidi Only Likes Blue: An African Book of Colours pb $15.95 Big Book $39.95
While Chidi only likes the blue of his best shirt, his sister loves all the colours of their African village. This picture book cleverly combines an exploration of colours with a description of an African village, a simple text and beautiful photographs of the houses, designs, food, plants etc in the village. (5 – 10 years)
Ikenna Goes to Nigeria by Ifeoma Onyefulu hardback $27.95 pb $15.95
When Ikenna goes to Nigeria to visit the country where his mother was born he visits busy Lagos and also a quiet village. Excellent photographs show us many aspects of life in Nigeria. (6 – 10 years)
Other titles by Onyefulu for young children set in Nigeria are:
Emeka’s Gift: An African Counting Story pb $15.95 Big Book $39.95
Ebele’s Favourite: A book of African Games pb 415.95
My Grandfather is a Magician: Work and Wisdom in an African Village pb $15.95
One Big Family: Sharing Life in an African Village pb $15.95 Big Book $39.95
Welcome Dede An African Naming Ceremony pb $15.95
Here Comes Our Bride! A Nigerian wedding pb $15.95
Gisele Wulfsohn
Bongani’s Day: From Dawn to Dusk in a South African City hardback $27.95 pb $15.95
Bongani lives in modern day Johannesberg and so this book describes a typical day in Bongani’s life from the time he get up in the morning, his day at school and what he and his family do in the evening, till he goes to bed. Vivid photographs and simple text. It is part of an excellent series called A Child’s Day. In similar format are
Boushra’s Day (Egypt) hb $27.95, Nii Kwei’s Day (Ghana) pb $15.95,
Fiction and Autobiography
Eoin Colfer
Benny and Omar pb $16.95
Benny is devastated when he has to leave Ireland and his hurling friends and go and live in Tunisia. He is a rebel and finds the unthreatening friendly atmosphere of the international school very strange and feels more at ease with a young homeless Tunisian boy who is forced to live life on the edge. Colfer succeeds in giving a believable, unsentimental portrayal of poverty and homelessness. (10 – 15 years)
Nicki Cornwell
Christophe’s Story pb $12.95
Christophe is an eight year old boy from Rwanda who flees the fighting in his country to come to England as a refugee with his family. His problems in settling in are described but the book is also about different ways of telling stories. Christophe doesn’t want to read stories in books because his grandfather had always told him stories aloud, and had said that if stories are written down then their spirit is lost. However Christopher tells aloud to his class the story of how he came to England and of the violence in Rwanda but decides he is happy for it to be written down word for word so that many children can hear his story. (7 – 10 years)
Victor Kelleher
Papio pb $14.95
This was written back in 1986. David and Jem are determined to release the two baboons from the research station where they are doomed to die but when they realise that the baboons are no longer able to look after themselves in the African bush, that is when their real problems begin. (11 – 15 years)
Geraldine McCaughrean
Casting the Gods Adrift pb $14.95
This dramatic story is set in Egypt in the time of Akhenaten and his beautiful wife Nefertiti. Tutmose and Ibrim are honoured by the Pharaoh because of the exotic animals and birds that their father captures and presents to the Pharaoh. Tutmose describes his life at the new capital and the plans of the Pharaoh (shocking to his father and many other Egyptians) to allow only the worship of just one God, Aten, the sun-God. This is an extremely well told story which makes life in the Egyptian court come alive. (8 – 11 years)
Henning Mankell
Secrets in the Fire translated from the Swedish by Anne Connie Stuksrud pb $17.95 This is the remarkable story of Sofia, a young girl in Mozambique who has suffered immensely. She loses a leg in a land mine explosion and many close members of her family have been killed. However her strength, determination and indomitable spirit are remarkable. (11 years up)
Beverley Naidoo
Journey to Jo’burg pb $13.00
Set in South Africa at the time of Apartheid, this is the story of two children who set out to walk 300 miles to Johannesburg in order to reach their mother to tell her that their baby sister was very ill. Their mother works for a white family and sees her own family only a few times each year. Their journey shows the harshness and discrimination of the Apartheid regime. Originally published n 1985, this edition contains a foreward by Michel Rosen and notes on Beverley Naidoo’s own background. She grew up in South Africa with a white mother and a black nanny and can hardly believe that as child and as a young woman she never questioned the cruel system of Apartheid. (8 – 12 years)
Carole Wilkinson
Ramose Prince in Exile pb $17.00
This is the first book in a series set in Ancient Egypt about Ramose who was the pharaoh’s rightful heir but who has had to escape and live in disguise since a plot against his life. These are exciting adventure stories which give many details of courtly and everyday life at the time of Ancient Egypt. Other titles are Ramose and the Tomb Robbers, Ramose Sting of the Scorpion and Wrath of Ra pb $17.00 each (9 – 12 years)
Non-Fiction
The Gorilla Book: Born to be Wild by Dr Carla Litchfield pb $17.00
Beautifully photographed, this is a fascinating account of the four different types of gorillas in Africa today. Detailed descriptions of the differences between these gorillas, where they live, the habitats and the threats to their existence. (7 – 11 years)
Traveling Man: The Journey of Ibn Battuta, 1325 – 1354 by James Rumford pb $14.95 This is the most amazing story of Ibn Battuta who at the age of 21 left his home in Morocco to go on a pilgrimage to Mecca. However he continued on travelling to Jerusalem, Persia, south by sea to Delhi, on to China and finally reached Morocco again after an amazing 29 years. This picture book is beautifully illustrated with detailed maps showing his travels and the world as it looked in 1325. (8 – 12 years)
Exploring Continents series
Africa hardback $37.50
Published in 2007, this book looks at the geographical features of Africa, including landforms, climate and weather, plants and animals, countries and cities, people and famous places. (8 – 12 years)
Great Journeys Across Earth series hardback $37.50 each
Burton and Speke’s Source of the Nile Quest by David Gilpin
The book is simply written but contains a wealth of information about the extremely difficult journey the made across land to find the source of this huge river. The many difficulties included the heat, mountainous terrain, dangerous animals and tropical diseases. The text is well supported with paintings, etchings, photos, illustrations and maps. The series is especially interesting because it also attempts to give more cross-curricular information in the areas of landforms, geography, history and science. The book contains a Timeline, Glossary and an Index. (10 - 14 years)
Letters from Around the World series hardback $34.95
Letters from Egypt, Letters from Kenya, Letters from Nigeria, and Letters from South Africa. A lively introduction to these countries in the form of letters and information about the life of a child of about 9 years old in each country. Letters from Kenya and Letters from South Africa are both also available in paperback $22.95 (7 – 10 years)
Living in Australia series (2008) hardback $29.95
Sudanese Australians hardback $29.95
Looks at the customs and traditions of the Sudanese people living in Australia. There are interviews with a number of people from the Sudanese community. Recipes from Sudan are also included. (10 – 13 years)
Time Travel Guides hardback $39.95
West African Kingdoms
We know so little about African civilisations and there is so little written for students and so this book is much appreciated. It describes the kingdoms of West Africa from 1200 to 1600 when they were at their most flourishing. The West African kingdoms include the areas around Mali and Ghana and other areas south of the Sahara and also Benin, now part of Nigeria. The text is written in the present tense as though the reader is visiting the region back hundreds of years ago and describes the culture, the buildings, people, food, travel, climate, history, religion and customs. The wonderful Benin bronzes are described briefly and also the beautiful mud mosques which can still be seen in many parts of this region. This book provides a good but brief introduction to these remarkable kingdoms. (11 – 14 years)
World Cultures series hardback $35.95 each
Living in the African Savannah
In the book Living in the African Savannah, the daily life and the cultural activities of the Maasai people are described and where they live in the grasslands of eastern Africa. The ways in which the Maasai survive the many droughts in this area are also described as well as their customs and ceremonies. As well as many photos and maps, there is a Glossary and an Index and suggestions for activities.
Also Living in the Sahara (8 – 11 years)
World Art and Culture series
African Art and Culture pb $29.95
An excellent introduction to the arts and crafts of a wide range of countries within Africa over thousands of years. Examples of rock art, architecture, painting, carving, textiles and many other crafts are shown through beautiful photographs and described. A general overview of African history is also included and a glossary and index. (11 - 16 years)
World of Music series hardback $38.50
Africa
Published in 2008, this is a very attractively presented book giving a vast amount of information about music from Africa. The instruments and the various types of music and many different musicians are described in detail. It is a shame that there isn’t a CD to accompany the book. However the names of many musicians and the type of music they play is described and also descriptions of the cultural events at which music is played and the styles of dance. The music’s link to the religions of the region is also described. The books contain detailed maps of the regions, colour photographs of the instruments and musicians and cultural events. There are also clear explanations of musical terms. Each book contains a Glossary, Index and also suggested websites and books where further information can be obtained. (13 years up)
Africa: Continent in the Balance series hardback $39.95
This series examines the historical and current situation of a range of African countries, providing background information on each country’s geography and ecology, history, systems of government, economy, people and cultures and important cities and communities. Titles have been published within the last few years.
Algeria, Angola, Botswana, Burundi, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Egypt, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Liberia, Libya, Morocco, Mozambique, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Sudan, Tanzania, The African Union, Uganda and Zimbabwe. 12 – 16 years
Africa: Progress and Problems series hardback $44.00
Afric is a huge and diverse continent with a vast number of very different countries. This series looks at many of the major issues n African today. Most of the series was published in 2006. Titles are:
AIDS & Health Issues
Civil Wars in Africa
Ecological issues
Education in Africa
Ethnic groups in Africa
Governance & Leadership in Africa
Human Rights
Islam in Africa
The Making of Modern Africa
Population & Overcrowding
Poverty & Economic Issues
Religions of Africa 15 years up
DVDs
Families of the World series: available in DVD $64.00 each
There are DVDs on the following countries - Egypt and Ghana
We are introduced to the daily life of the children at home with their families and also at school from the time they wake up in the morning till they go to bed at night. The children describe their activities, the food they eat, where they live and their families and schools. There is much to discuss and children will be able to compare their lives with those of these children from different countries and cultures. Running time is approx 30 minutes.
There is also a Teacher’s Guide for each country. These contain the script and additional information on each country and also ideas for discussion. pb $9.95 each (6 - 10 years)
All prices are in Australian dollars.
If you would like to order any
of the above books, send orders to Austral Ed by fax, post or email.
For additional
lists of recommended books and newsletters from Austral Ed, visit our
website www.australed.iinet.net
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