Africa Books Benin Why Goats Smell Bad and Other Stories from Benin by Raouf Mama and Imna Arroyo (Linnet Books, 1998) Chapter book. Ages 9-12. A fascinating collection of 20 traditional folktales that makes the Fon culture of Benin come alive. It Takes a Village by Jane Cowen-Fletcher (New York: Scholastic Inc, 1994). Picture book. Ages 4-8. As a mother carries a tub of mangoes into the village to sell on market day, she asks her daughter Yemi to keep an eye on her younger brother, Kokou. Kokou wanders off and Yemi must look for him. The illustrations--calm renderings in colored pencil with watercolor washes--show the boy being cared for by various vendors at the market. Yakabou Must Choose by Dennis Perry (Chicago Spectrum Press, 2001). Chaper book. Ages 9-12. Yakabou , like every other boy in the small African village of Kolokonde, wants two things-a radio and a motorbike. Through a series of misadventures, Yakabou is unfairly blamed for stealing and is banished by the Village Chieftain from the village--now Yakabou must choose to either run away or live like the "old Africans." The Market Lady and the Mango Tree by Pete Watson (Tambourine Books, 1994). Picture book. Ages 4-8. A cautionary tale about the dangers of making a profit from what nature provides free of charge. Mary Watson's paintings are lovely, dramatic, and bold in design. The village and the main character come vividly to life. The text itself has a flowing, rhythmic quality that children should love. Mozambique A Girl Named Disaster by Nancy Forsythe Farmer (Puffin Reprint, 1998). Ages 9-14. This 1997 Newbery Honor book, which is set in Africa, is both a survival story and a spiritual voyage. South Africa My Painted House, My Friendly Chicken, and Me by Maya Angelou (New York: Clarkson Potter, 1994) Picture book. Ages 4-9. An eight-year-old tells the story of Ndebele women and the way they incorporate art into their daily lives through many color photographs. Jamela's Dress by Niki Daly (New York: Farrar, Straus & Giroux, 1999) Picture book. Ages 3-7. A cute story that all children can relate to about a girl in a township of South Africa. Nabulela ( by Fiona Moodie New York:Farrar, Straus & Giroux, 1997) Picture book. Ages 7-9. South African folktale about the spoiled daughter of a chief and the other girls of the village. The Day Gogo Went to Vote by Elinor Batezat Sisulu (Boston: Little, Brown, 1996) Picture book. Ages 6-9. Six-year-old Thembi and her beloved great-grandmother, who has not left the house for many years, go together to vote on the momentous day when black South Africans are allowed to vote for the first time. Gift of the Sun: A Tale from South Africa by Dianne Stewart (New York: Straus & Giroux, 1996) Picture book. Ages 3-6. Beautiful images of contemporary rural life. At the Crossroads by Rachel Isadora (William Morrow & Company, Inc.) Picture book. Ages 5-8. South African children gather to welcome home their fathers who have been away for several months working in the mines. Peaceful Protest: The Life of Nelson Mandela by Yona Zeldis McDonough (Walker & Company, 2002) Picture book. Ages 8-11. A biography of South African leader and activist Nelson Mandela. King Shaka's Fierce Battle on the Little Umkosi by Dwight Whitfield (Sandwight Publishing Co., 2001). Picture book (40 pages). "King Shaka's Fierce Battle on the Little Umkosi," is a about Shaka Zulu who, in the eyes of a little boy named Kabelo, fought and defeated a monster who was eating up the sun.The cloud formation and the natural occurrences that took place during the annular eclipse in Southern Africa in 1824, resembled a large dark disk devouring the sun. The story provides factual information told in interesting ways for children. Sudan My Great Grandmother's Gourd by Cristina Kessler (Orchard Books, 2000). Picture book. Ages 4-8. A Sudanese village installs a new water pump. In the past, the villagers coped with the long, dry seasons by storing water in the trunks of the ancient baobab trees. But with the new pump, nobody prepares their trees except young Fatima's grandmother, who is skeptical about disregarding the "old ways." Africa ﾖ Other, Mixed or Unspecified Settings Africa Is Not a Country by Margy Burns Knight (Milbrook Press, 2002). Picture book. Ages 9-12. Stories about children in Africa's countries, celebrating the diversity of the many cultures and nations on the African continent. It focuses on the modern reality of life in Africa and goes against many common stereotypes, containing lots of valuable information about the countries presented. Beautiful, colorful illustrations. The River That Went to the Sky: Twelve Tales by African Storytellers edited by Mary Medlicott (New York: Kingfisher, 1995) Short stories. Ages 7-12. Nine stories based on folktales and three original stories from Malawi, Angola, Morocco, Ghana, Nigeria, South Africa, Kenya, West Africa, Botswana, Egypt, Sierra Leone, and Zimbabwe. Many of the contributors are working storytellers and musicians, helping to keep Africa's oral traditions alive. Konte Chameleon Fine, Fine, Fine: A West African Folk Tale by Cristina Kessler (Honesdale, PA: Boyds Mills Press, 1997). Picture Book. Ages 3-7. This slight tale from West Africa explains the changing colors of the chameleon. Konte Chameleon is worried that he is unwell when he notices that he has turned bright red. This Is the Tree by Miriam Moss (New York: Kane/Miller, 2000) Informational book. Ages 4-9. A book feature the baobab, the African ﾓTree of Life,ﾔ and the creatures who live in or depend on the tree. Ashanti to Zulu: African Traditions by Margaret Musgrove (Puffin, 1980) Picture book. Ages 6-10. Explains some traditions and customs of 26 African groups while moving through the alphabet. Calabash Cat and His Amazing Journey by James Rumford (Houghton Mifflin, 2003). Picture book. Ages 4-8. Calabash Cat sets out to discover where the world ends. Each time he thinks that he has found his destination, another animal happens along and takes him farther. Giraffe of King Charles X by Miche Wynants (New York: McGraw-Hill Book Co., 1961) Picture book. Ages 5-8. Based on a true story of a giraffe that came from Africa to Paris, France in 1827 as a gift to King Charles X, the giraffe gives her perspective of the trip. Notes at the end discuss the history of the event. Moja Means One: Swahili Counting Book by Muriel Feelings (Puffin, 1976) Picture book. Ages 5-8. The numbers one through ten in Swahili accompany two-page illustrations of various aspects of East African life. Jambo Means Hello: Swahili Alphabet Book by Muriel Feelings (Puffin, 1981) Picture book. Ages 5-8. Song of the Boat by Lorenz B. Graham (HarperCollins, 1975) Picture book. Ages 5-8. A small African boy helps his father locate the right tree to make a new canoe to replace the one broken by an alligator. Galimoto by Karen Lynn Williams (HarperTrophy, 1991) Ages 4-8. Kondi is determined to make a galimoto -- a toy vehicle made of wires. His brother laughs at the idea, but all day Kondi goes about gathering up the wire he needs. By nightfall, his wonderful galimoto is ready for the village children to play with in the light of the moon. Oh, No, Toto! by Katrin Tchana (Scholastic, 1997). Cameroon. Picture book. Ages 4-8. A toddler called Toto Gourmand (the "Hungry One") trails along after his grandmother at a Cameroon market while she shops for the ingredients for egussi soup. Sense Pass King: A Story of Cameroon by Katrin Tchana (Holiday House, 2002) Cameroon. Picture book. Ages 4-8. In this retelling of a traditional tale, young Ma'antah displays such extraordinary cleverness that she earns the nickname, Sense Pass King. The Lion's Whiskers and Other Ethiopian Tales by Brent K. Ashabranner (Hamden, CT: Linnet Books, 1997). Ethiopia. Ages 8-12. Some of these stories have clear morals and give messages about love, honor, courage, and wisdom. Others, in the way of oral tradition, end abruptly with the storyteller asking listeners to provide their own conclusions or leave the ending open for an additional tale. When Africa Was Home by Karen Lynn Williams (Franklin Watts, Inc., 1994) Malawi. Ages 4-8. Peter, a white American, is entirely at home in a Malawian village. When he has to go to America with his parents, he feels displaced, and waits patiently until their joyful return to the village, where he is once again at home. The Children of Mauritania: Days in the Desert and by the River Shore by Lauren Goodsmith (First Avenue Editions, 1977). Mauritania. 56 pages, ages 9-12. Follows the lives of two children from two of Mauritania's cultural groups: a Moorish girl and a Halpoular boy. Jubela by Christina Kessler (Simon & Shuster, 2004) Swaziland. Picture book. Ages 4-8. This poignant story of a baby rhino facing an uncertain future after losing its mother to poachers will captivate readers. This compelling story with beautiful illustrations is based on the true story of an orphaned rhinoceros in Swaziland, and is certain to alert young readers to the issue of wildlife conservation. Elizabeti's Doll by Stephanie Stuve-Bodeen (Lee & Low Books, 1998) Tanzania. Ages 4-8. The first book in the Elizabeti Series. Set in a Tanzanian village, the story tells of Elizabeti, who watches her mother care for her new baby brother and longs for a little one of her own to cuddle. She has no doll, so instead she looks around for a suitable "baby" and soon finds a rock that's shaped just right. Mama Elizabeti by Stephanie Stuve-Boden (Lee & Low Books, 2000) Tanzania. Ages 4-8. Elizabeti has a new baby sister. With her mother busy with the baby, Elizabeti now has to help take care of her younger brother, Obedi. Elizabeti's School by Stephanie Stuve-Boden (Lee & Low Books, 2002) Tanzania. Ages 4-8. Elizabeti looks forward to her first day of school but, once she arrives, she wonders what her family is doing at home. Babu's Song by Stephanie Stuve-Boden (Lee & Low Books, 2002) Tanzania. Ages 4-8. Bernardi lives with his grandfather, Babu, who supports them by making toys. Bernardi wishes he could go to school, but they can't afford it. When a tourist offers a handsome price for the music box Babu gave him as a present, Bernardi regretfully sells it, giving the money to Babu. Do You Know Me? by Nancy Forsythe Farmer (Puffin, 1994). Zimbabwe. 112 pages, ages 9-12. When Uncle Zeka comes to live with nine-year-old Tapiwa's middle-class family in Harare, Zimbabwe, he regales the child with stories of prospecting for gold and living by his wits and his knowledge of nature. Do you know of a great children's book about Africa that you'd like to recommend to other parents and teachers? Contact us and tell us about it!