Africa For Kids

Fifteen years ago when my husband and I decided to raise our children bilingually as one way to be closer to their African heritage, we wrote home to Kenya to get children’s books to read to them. The good news was that we received some in the mail. The bad news is that they were all books that taught beginning Kiswahill and not the kind of story books for which I had hoped. What a wonderful eye-opener it is today to have the same need and be able to fill it by going to a nearby library or bookstore.

And an eye-opener it is, in the true sense. The first thing my daughter and I comment on when opening a new book is the power of the pictures. Almost without exception, the illustrations and graphical images in recent children’s books about and from Africa are bright and vibrant and fairly call out to be taken from the shelf. Many of the artists are Africans, presenting their unique and distinctive works, or artists who are immersed in a variety of African artistic styles. Similarly, the authors and storytellers either are from the continent or have had experience with the continent and its people that has left an indelible mark on them.

Yes, Africa has many stories to tell, and they are finally becoming accessible. We found books from many countries on the continent--Zaire, Namibia, Nigeria, Kenya.

Two stories attempt to highlight the similarities of family life between Western cultures and African cultures. “A Country Far Away,” by Nigel Gray and illustrated by Philippe Dupasquier, shows an African boy wondering what life would be like in Western Europe, side by side with the story of a Western European boy wondering what life would be like on the continent of Africa. The essential similarities between the lives of the two boys are drawn out through the pictures, as are the striking differences.

A slightly different twist is taken with Karen Lynn Williams’ “When Africa Was Home,” illustrated by Floyd Cooper. In this story, Peter, a small white child, feels alien when his family returns to America. He can’t wait to go back to Africa, the only home he has ever known, where he ran free with his friends. Cooper’s luminescent paintings enable readers to feel the warmth of the sun and the warm sand on his feet as he runs to greet his African family at the book’s end. These two books provide a good way for American children to make an easy connection to the children in Africa.

The books that captivate my daughter and me the most are those, however, that tell the stories of Africa. “Bury My Bones but Keep My Words,” retold by Tony Fairman, includes not only several tales from across Africa but also storytelling hints. As Fairman points out, a tale in a book is like a drum in a museum. These are stories that must be told. Many of them can be read by younger children, but their power comes alive in the telling. For anyone willing to try, this book is a good place to start. After learning a few things about how to tell stories aloud, start in on the wonderful set of picture books that retell the myths and legends of different people and groups all across Africa.

As my family and I started to read and talk about these stories, it became clear that we were being presented with a totally different set of values than those preached to us by our traditional Disney experience. “It Takes a Village” by Jane Cowen-Fletcher builds on the African proverb “It takes a village to raise a child.” The value of community is clear as Kokou wanders off when his sister is supposed to be watching him. My 6-year-old daughter was concerned about him as we turned the pages. “It must be important for everyone to feel responsible for raising a child,” she said when it was all over. Message received.

In many ways, “Chinye,” a story from the Igbo group in Nigeria retold by Obi Onyefulu, has a familiar story line. The young girl in this story suffers unfairness at the hands of her stepmother and stepsister and is befriended by the animals and a magical older woman. Young listeners will surely think of Cinderella. The difference is that Chinye doesn’t focus on the value of romance but, rather, on the value of goodness and the negative consequences of greed.

A Swahili folk tale, “Imani in the Belly,” retold by Deborah A. Newton Chocolate and illustrated by Alex Boies, highlights the values of working collaboratively, of looking to ancestors for guidance and of having courage and faith--the Swahili word imani.

The tortoise, though slow-moving, seems to have made his way across the entire continent of Africa. In the Igbo story “The Flying Tortoise” by Tololwa Mollel, illustrated by Barbara Spurll, Mbeku, the tortoise, tricks the birds into providing him with a big feast. But when he tries to trick them a second time, he’s the one who gets fooled.

The tortoise has a dual nature. It teaches children not to be selfish, gluttonous, cunning or overconfident, yet at the same time, they love the tortoise because he is smart, resourceful, funny and a survivor. Ingenuity and an irrepressible spirit mark his stories. American children are more familiar with characters who are either totally good or totally evil, so meeting a character who has both good and bad attributes may be a new experience for some readers.

Some of the most scholarly work appears to be coming from a publishing house in Kenya, Jacaranda Designs. Stories retold and illustrated by Kenyans are found in a two-volume set called “Beneath the Rainbow.” The publisher’s intent is to provide children both inside and outside of Africa with a better understanding and appreciation of Africa’s social and cultural diversity. “Inkishu: Myths and Legends of the Maasai,” part of the African Art and Literature series, is a thoroughly researched, well-presented anthology of seven stories collected by Kioi Wa Mbugua. Inkishu means cattle, one of the essentials of the Maasai people. “The social and economic life of the Maasai centers around cattle,” explains the author in a preface.

A good companion to “Inkishu” is the photo-journal “Olbalbal: A Day in Maasailand” by Barbara Margolies. Othelbai is a village in Tanzania, and this book chronicles the life of the people who live there through text and engaging, respectful photos. Since the Maasai are one of the groups of African people best known to American youth through documentaries on public television, this is a good way to see their world from their perspective.

For upper elementary readers, Nancy Farmer’s “Do You Know Me” presents a very different picture of Africa. So many images from Africa focus on what is most unique and different to Americans--village life, huts made of thatch and mud and people in traditional dress living much as they have for decades if not for centuries--that we miss a whole part of the modern African experience.

“Do You Know Me” is a funny and exciting story about what happens when Uncle Zeka comes to live with Tupiwa’s family in the city, in a house with modern conveniences. Uncle Zeka has walked all the way from Mozambique to Zimbabwe and is excited about his new home, but he can’t seem to break old habits. The longer he stays, the more trouble he gets into, but Tupiwa never wants him to leave.

Farmer also wrote “The Ear, the Eye and the Arm,” a futuristic novel for older readers that was recently named a New-bery Honor Book. This superb adventure story, set in Zimbabwe in 2194, incorporates the past and the future as three children try to escape their captors.

Another short novel for young readers is “Themba,” written by Margaret Sacks, who is South African, and illustrated by Wil Clay, an American artist. When Themba’s father does not return from his work in the gold mines of Johannesburg as scheduled, Themba sets off to find him; this small story explores fear, unfairness, pride and sacrifice.

The art and the cuisine of Africa are other easy entry points for children into the richness that is Africa. “The Singing Man” by Angela Shelf Medearis and illustrated by Terea Shaffer, is a story from the Yoruba group in Nigeria. In it, the youngest son in a family is forced to leave his village because he chooses music over more practical occupations. He becomes a griot, or praise singer, whose job is to keep his people’s history through song. The book contains proverbs, such as “A people with no past have no future” and “Yams fill the belly and trade fills the pocket but music fills the heart,” that impart the beliefs and wisdom of the Yoruba people.

“Native Artists of Africa” by Reavis Moore introduces young readers to five African artists who are inspired by their cultures’ traditions and devoted to helping create harmony throughout the world. These modern artists from across the continent pay homage to their tribal traditions. Each chapter is devoted to one artist and includes an art activity that teaches young readers to make their own art similar to what is shown.

“Taste of West Africa” by Colin Harris is a great cookbook with easy-to-follow recipes that are clearly illustrated and formatted. In addition, the author provides information about the countries, the food, village life and city life.

Older children will gain valuable insights and perspectives from two history books. “African Migrations” by Hakim Adi is an introductory survey of African migrations throughout the centuries. Readers will meet contemporary emigrants who have left their homes for better economic opportunity or to escape conflict. They will see how these migrations have influenced cultures in every corner of the world.

“The Royal Kingdoms of Ghana, Mali and Songhay: Life in Medieval Africa” by Patricia and Frederick McKissack is a detailed and in-depth study of the civilization of the Western Sudan from about AD 500 to AD 1700, which flourished while Europe was in a constant state of war. Much of this history, say the authors, was either suppressed or falsely told, so that historians today must piece together a true picture of this civilization. In effect, then, this book is as much about the process of writing history as it it about the rich history of this area.

Despite the breadth of the offerings here, many countries of Africa are still not represented in today’s children’s books: There are hundreds and hundreds of groups with equally rich traditions. Reading the traditional stories of any people broadens the mind. One wonders, as my husband does, about how real the stories can be when taken out of the context of the culture. Do they carry the same meaning to American children as they do to people within the culture? The words can be translated. The art can be captured and presented. But how does one capture the importance of the stories, the cultural meanings, innuendo and impact?

These stories are, after all, not just curiosities. They represent firmly held beliefs and values and traditions that not only stretch back through the centuries but also reach forward into the future. They shape a culture and the perceptions of a people. The stories we grow up with capture the essence of what our culture has determined is worthy to be passed along to the next generation. While American readers may miss the experience of sitting down and eating the full meal in these books by and about Africa, we get a brief whiff of this marvelous land as we turn their pages.