Recently in Africa Children's Books Category

I came across information suggesting the Howard University library in D.C. has some expertise in the area of French-language literature related to Africa. So I contacted them asking for information about relevant books that my son might try to find for his library project. I heard back from Mr. Mohamed Mekkawi, Director of Libraries for Howard University. I’ve pasted below the relevant information he sent me. Your organization may be familiar with these resources and with Mr. Mekkawi, but if any of it is new information and useful to FAVL, that would be gratifying.

Lisons tous, Vol 1. http://www.afrilivres.com/spip.php?article197

Lison tous, Vol 2. http://www.afrilivres.com/spip.php?article160

You'll also find a whole list of African French language books with illustrations--good material for beginners in this language. http://www.afrilivres..com/spip.php?mot1047

I also suggest browsing my website "French Connection" for additional materials, esp under the rubric "Franchphonie": http://www.howard.edu/library/Assist/Guides/FrenchConnection..htm#FRANCOPHONY

Mekkawi, Mohamed, M.A.

Director of Libraries, Howard University

FAVL worked with Kathy Knowles of Osu Children's Library Fund to translate into Dioula and print copies of her beautiful Red, Blue, Green and Yellow "I like..." books. Prof. Ada Giusti from Montana State University writes:

I just returned from a trip to Mali with my students. While we were in a village called Sanambele, I shared your beautiful books with the children and teachers. They were so appreciated! Children of all ages kept on asking me to see the books over and over again. They could read the words because they spoke Bambara. If you get on this link, you will see many pictures of Malian children reading the books (which I donated to the school of course).

FAVL board member Deb Garvey points us to some wonderful children's books about Africa from the publisher L'ecole des loisirs including this one, Les petits acrobates du fleuve, (The Little River Acrobats), illustrated and written by Dominique Mwankumi, L'ecole des loisirs, 2000. Deb has translated and expanded the publisher's blurb below:

This charming African-village themed book for children ages 7 to 9 is a great introduction to village life in west-central Africa. The story is set in the remote village of Sakata, Democratic Republic of Congo, along the Congo River. The great river churns dangerously whenever a mailboat packed with merchandise arrives at Sakata's tiny one-wharf port. Despite the dangers, the mailboats are tempting targets for the children of the village. Children (aka "little acrobats") scramble into their fragile small pirogues and row out into the turbulent water in order to touch the hull of the mysterious boat. One day, a little boy named Kembo decides it is his turn to have a go at the mailboat. He is even determined to board the mailboat once he reaches it. However, reaching the larger boat requires skill in handling the pirogue in the dangerously choppy waters and a great deal of courage, neither of which Kembo lacks. Accompanied by his friends, Kembo will attempt this very dangerous act of acrobacy....will he succeed?

You probably heard the story on NPR if you are in the U.S., but what a great book. A Ghanaian chicken entreprenuer started small, many years ago. A small donation by you can make sure that hundreds of kids in Ghana will get to read this book! Just write "One Chicken" on your donation, and we'll get copies of the book for our three libraries in northern Ghana.

A very nice short novel for children... Exactly the kind of father I would like if I grew up in a village in Africa!

I tried to get my 9 year old son to read Chike and the River, Achebe's short novel for children. I read it myself, and found the writing crisp and clear (what else was I expecting) and interesting enough to keep me going. A lovely thought to hold in your mind, of a young boy's dream to cross the river. But apparently to a Goosebumps, Tintin, Harry Potter, Inkheart, Dragon Rider, etc. 9 year old, it didn't seem to cut it! What if Achebe were to write a more fantasy-oriented children's book? Let me think... On the very first page Chike's parents are killed by a nuclear-mutated spider while they are watching Godzilla on their TV set. Chike runs off to his uncle, who turns out to have a dragon stored in a bottle. The miserly trader Mr. Peter Nwana is really a powerful witch who... cuts off people's heads and turns them into gold! Mr Nwana tries to control the spider to his own nefarious ends, and Chike and his uncle save the day, and Chike teaches his uncle that dragons are really just like humans.

This interesting story book was produced in Zimbabwe using a story from a couple of local storytellers. It is a little "absurd" (the girls fly home in a hollowed out tree) but pleasant enough to read, and I can easily imagine the children in a village library thinking it fascinating and having it "stick".... what books from early reading do you remember, anyway?

Two very nice books (Meliga's Day and Kwajo and the Brassman's Secret) from the prolific Ghanaian children's author... excellent illustrations and stories guaranteed to appeal to a village reader. The problem? Go to amazon.com to ask how much these cost? Here is what you get:

Meliga's Day (Opon Ifa Series, 2) by Meshack Asare (Paperback - April 2000) 2 Used & new from $88.12 Books: See all 30 items

Yes, most of his books- ordinary children's paperbacks- are selling in the used market for $20, 30, 40, 50, even $88.12 dollars! Incredible. The books can, though, be ordered from Michigan University Press and the African Books Collective.

But I realize I never write about them here, so I should start. Tonite I read The Blue Marble, a wonderfully illustrated book for 10-14 year olds by Jackee Budesta Batanda, an up and coming Ugandan writer. The right mix of realism and happy ending. Published by Sub-Saharan Publishers and UNESCO.