To help our students get started with research on Africa for the Special Interest Fair, we’ve developed a list of books and other resources in conjunction with the PTO’s Multicultural Committee. These books are available from the Burns Park school library (media center), and the call numbers are listed at the left of each item. Check it out!

For general information about the Special interest fair, including registration and a resource guide, visit this page.

Burns Park Media Center

Bibliography of Books Related to Africa

February 2008

Picture Books

E A

Aardema, Verna. Bringing the Rain to Kapiti Plain: A Nandi Tale. New York: Dial Books for Young Readers, 1981. A cumulative rhyme relating how Kipat brought rain to the drought-stricken Kapiti Plain.

E A

Angelou, Maya. Kofi and His Magic. New York: Clarkson Potter, 1996. A young Ashanti boy describes some of the wonders of his life in and around the West African village of Bonwire.

E A

Angelou, Maya. My Painted House, My Friendly Chicken, and Me. New York: C. Potter, 1994. Eight-year-old Thandi describes the traditional artwork of the Ndebele people of South Africa, highlighting her village’s painted houses and her mother’s detailed beadwork.

E C

Chocolate, Deborah M. Newton. Kente Colors. New York: Walker and Company, 1996. A rhyming description of the kente cloth costumes of the Ashanti and Ewe people of Ghana and a portrayal of the symbolic colors and patterns.

E C

Cwen-Fletcher, Jane. It Takes a Village. New York: Scholastic, 1994. On market day in a small village in Benin, Yemi tries to watch her little brother Kokou and finds that the entire village is watching out for him, too.

E D

Daly, Niki. Once Upon a Time. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2003. Sarie struggles when she reads aloud in her class, but then she and her friend find a book about Cinderella band begin to read together.

E D

Daly, Niki. Not so fast, Songololo. New York: Atheneum, 1986, 1985. In South Africa, a young black boy shares a special day with his grandmother when they go into the city on a shopping trip.

E D

Diakite, Penda. I Lost My Tooth in Africa. New York: Scholastic, 2006. While in Mali, a girl loses a tooth, places it under a calabash, and receives a hen and a rooster from the African Tooth Fairy.

E D

Diouf, Sylviane A. Bintou’s Braids. San Francisco: Chronicle Books, 2001. When Bintu, a little girl living in West Africa, finally gets her wish for braids, she discovers that what she dreamed for has been hers all along.

E G

Grifalconi, Ann. The Village of Round and Square Houses. Boston: Little, Brown, 1986. A grandmother explains to her listeners why in their village on the side of a volcano the men live in square houses and the women in round ones.

E H

Hoffman, Mary. Boundless Grace. New York: Dial books for Young Readers, 1995. Grace is invited for a visit with her father and his new family in Africa.

E I

Isador, Rachel. At the Crossroads. New York: Greenwillow Books, 1991. South African children gather to welcome home their fathers who have been away for several months working in the mines.

E K

Kessler, Cristina. The Best Beekeeper of Lalibela: A Tale from Africa. New York: Holiday House, 2006. A young girl determines to find a way to be a beekeeper despite being told that is something only men can do.

E K

Kessler, Cristina. Jubela. New York: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2001. When a baby rhino loses his mother, he must rely on his own resources to survive until he is adopted by an old female rhino.

E K

Kessler, Cristina. My Great-Grandmother’s Gourd. New York: Orchard, 2000. Residents of a Sudanese village rejoice when a traditional water storage method is replaced by modern technology, but Fatima’s grandmother knows there is no substitute for the reliability of the baobab tree.

E K

Kroll, Virginia L. Masai and I. New York: Four Winds Press, 1992. Linda, a little girl who lives in the city, learns about East Africa and the Masai in school and imagines what her life might be like if she were Masai.

E K

Kurtz, Jane. Faraway Home. San Diego: Harcourt, Inc., 2000. Desta’s father, who needs to return briefly to his Ethiopian homeland, describes what it was like for him to grow up there.

E L

Lewin, Hugh. Jafta. Minneapolis: Carolrhoda Books, 1983, 1981. Jafta describes some of his everyday feelings by comparing his actions to those of various African animals.

E L

Lewin, Ted. The Storytellers. New York: Lothrop, Lee & Shepard Books/Morrow, 1998. Abdul and Grandfather pass through the streets of Fez, Morocco, and stop at an old gate, where Grandfather performs as a storyteller.

E M

McBrier, Page. Beatrice’s Goat. New York: Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2001. A young girl’s dream of attending school in her small Ugandan village is fulfilled after her family is given an income-producing goat. Based on a true story about the work of Project Heifer.

E M

Mennen, Ingrid. Somewhere in Africa. New York: Dutton Children’s Books, 1992. Ashraf, a South African boy who lives in a big city, dreams of the African wild.

E M

Mollel, Tololwa M. My Rows and Piles of Coins. New York: Clarion Books, 1999. A Tanzanian boy saves his coins to buy a bicycle so that he can help his parents carry goods to market, but then he discovers that in spite of all he has saved, he still does not have enough money.

E M

Mitchell, Rhonda. The Talking Cloth. New York: Orchard Books, 1997. When Amber and her father go to visit her Aunt Phoebe, she wraps herself in cloth from Ghana and learns the significance of the colors and symbols to the Ashanti people.

E O

Olaleye, Isaac. Bikes for Rent! New York: Orchard, 2001. Lateef, a poor young boy living in a village in western Nigeria, works hard so he can rent a bicycle and ride with the other boys.

E P

Pinckney, Jerry. The Nightingale. New York: Phyllis Fogelman Books, 2002. Despite being neglected by the emperor for a jewel-studded bird, the little nightingale revives the dying ruler with its beautiful song. A retelling set in Northwest Africa.

E R

Roth, Susan L. Fire Came to the Earth People: A Dahomean Folktale. New York: St. Martin’s Press, 1988. The earth animals fail in every attempt to capture fire from te selfish moon god Mawu, until Chameleon and Tortoise combine their talents and help bring light and warmth to the newly-created earth.

E S

Steig, William. Doctor De Soto Goes to Africa. New York: HarperCollins Publishers, 1992. Expert mouse dentist Doctor De Soto is called suddenly to Africa to work on the sore tooth of a desperate elephant.

E S

Steptoe, John. Mufaro’s Beautiful Daughters: An African Tale. New York: Lothrop, Lee & Shepard Books, 1987. Mufaro’s two beautiful daughters, one bad-tempered, one kind and sweet, go before the king, who is choosing a wife.

E S

Stock, Catherine. Gugu’s House. New York: Clarion Books, 2001. Kukumba loves helping her grandmother decorate her mud home in a dusty Zimbabwe village, but when the annual rains partially destroy all her work, Kukamba learns to see the goodness of the rains.

E S

Stuve-Bodeen, Stephanie. Elizabeti’s Doll. New York: Lee & Low Books, 1998. When a young Tanzanian girl gets a new baby brother, she finds a rock, which she names Eva, and makes it her baby doll.

E S

Stuve-Bodeen, Stephanie. Mama Elizabeti. New York: Lee & Low Books, 2000. When her mother has a new baby, Elizabeti is given charge of her younger brother and finds it more difficult to take care of him than it was to care for her rock doll. (Sequel to Elizabeti’s Doll.)

E W

Williams, Karen Lynn. Galimoto. New York: Lothrop, Lee & Shepard Books, 1990. Walking through his village, a young African boy finds the materials to make a special toy.

E W

Williams, Karen Lynn. When Africa was Home. New York: Orchard Books, 1991. After returning to the United States, Peter’s whole family misses the warmth and friendliness of their life in Africa, so Peter’s father decides to look for another job there.

921 Sundiata

Wisniewski, David. Sundiata: Lion King of Mali. New York: Clarion Books, 1992. This is the story of Sundiata, who overcame physical handicaps, social disgrace, and strong opposition to rule Mali in the thirteenth century.

Folktales

398.2 Aar

Aardema, Verna. Anansi Does the Impossible! An Ashanti Tale. New York: Aladdin Paperbacks, 2000, c1997. Anansi and his wife outsmart the Sky God and win back the beloved folktales of their people.

398.2 Aar

Aardema, Verna. Princess Gorilla and a New Kind of Water: A Mpongwe Tale. New York: Dial Books for Young Readers, 1988. King Gorilla decrees that no one may marry his daughter until a suitor strong enough to consume a barrel of strange, intoxicating water is found.

398.2 Aar

Aardema, Verna. Rabbit Makes a Monkey of Lion: A Swahili Tale. New York: Dial books for Young Readers, 1989. With the help of his friends Bush-rat and Turtle, smart and nimble Rabbit makes a fool of the mighty but slow-witted king of the forest.

398.2 Aar

Aardema, Verna. Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People’s Ears: A West African Tale. New York: Dial Press, 1975. Reveals the meaning of the mosquito’s buzz.

398.2 And

Anderson, David A. The Origin of Life on Earth: An African Creation Myth. Mt. Airy, MD: Sights Prod., 1991. Retells the Yoruba creation myth in which the deity Obatala descends from the sky to create the world.

398.2 Ark

Arkhurst, Joyce Cooper. The Adventures of Spider: West African Folk Tales. Boston, Little, Brown, 1964. Presents six tales about Spider, including those which explain how he got a thin waist and a bald head and why he lives in ceilings and dark corners.

398.2 Bad

Badoe, Adwoa. The Pot of Wisdom: Ananse Stories. Toronto: Douglad & McIntyre, 2001. A collection of ten stories about Ananse, the African spider trickster.

398.2 Bry

Bryan, Ashley. Beautiful Blackbird. New York: Atheneum Books for Yong Readers, 2003. In a story of the Ila people, the colorful birds of Africa ask Blackbird, whom they think is the most beautiful of birds, to decorate them with some of this blackening brew.

398.2 Bry

Bryan, Ashley. The Story of Lightning and Thunder. New York: Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 1993. In this retelling of a West African tale, Ma Sheep Thunder and her impetuous son, Ram Lightning, are forced to leave their home on Earth because of the trouble Ram causes.

398.2 Cay

Dayrell, Elphinstone. Why the Sun and the Moon Live in the Sky: An African Folktale. Houghton Mifflin, 1968.

398.2 Cum

Cummings, Pat. Ananse and the Lizard: A West African Tale. New York: Henry Holt, 2002. Ananse the spider thinks he will marry the daughter of the village chief, but instead he is coutsmarted by Lizard.

398.2 Dee

Dee, Ruby. Two Ways to Count to Ten: A Liberian Folktale. New York: H. Holt, 1988. A retelling of a traditional Liberian tale in which King Leopard invites all the animals to a spear-throwing contest whose winner will marry his daughter and succeed him as king.

398.2 Ger

Gershator, Phillis. Only One Cowry: A Dahomean Tale. New York: Orchard, 2000. A clever young fellow persuades an equally clever chief’s daughter to marry the king of Dahomey, and both the young man and future queen prosper in the bargain.

398.2 Gre

Green, Lila. Tales form Africa. Morristown, NJ: Silver Burdett Co., 1979. Includes the following: Why Spiders Hide in Corners, The Ungrateful Man, The Wise Judge, The Rabbit and the Clay Man, The Prince who Wanted the Moon.

398.2 Hal

Haley, Gail E. A Story, a Story: An African Tale. New York: Aladdin Books, 1970. Recounts how most African folk tales came to be called “Spider Stories.”

398.24 Hau

Hausman, Gerald. Cats of Myth: Tales form Around the World. New York: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2000. A collection of stories from Egypt and other places that portray cats as goddesses, guardians, tricksters, warriors, magicians, and more.

398.2 Ing

Ingpen, Robert R. Folk Tales & Fables of the Middle East and Africa. New York: Chelsea House, 1994. Stories from the Middle East covering a time span of three thousand years, and from Africa.

398.2 Kim

Kimmel, Eric A. Anansi Goes Fishing. New York: Holiday House, 1992. Anansi the spider plans to trick Turtle into catching a fish for his dinner, but Turtle proves to be smarter and ends up with a free meal. Explains the origin of spider webs.

398.2 McD

McDermott, Gerald. Anansi the Spider; a Tale from the Ashanti. New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1972. In trying to determine which of his six sons to reward for saving his life, Anansi the Spider is responsible for placing the moon in the sky.

398.2 McD

McDermott, Gerald. The Magic Tree: A Tale from the Congo. New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1973. This story retells a Congolese tale in which an ugly and unloved twin discovers a magic tree that gives him everything he wants.

398.2 McD

McDermott, Gerald. Zomo the Rabbit: A Trickster Tale from West Africa. San Diego: Harcourt Brace, 1992. Zomo the Rabbit, an African trickster, sets out to gain wisdom.

398.2 McG

McGovern, Ann. The Magic Pot. New York: Macmillan, 1975.

398.2 Osb

Osborne, Mary Pope. Mermaid Tales from Around the World. New York: Scholastic, 1993. A collection of twelve mermaid tales from around the world, featuring such sources as France, Greece, and North Africa.

398.2 Pay

Paye, Won-Ldy. Head, Body, Legs: A Story form Liberia. New York: Holt, 2002. In this tale from the Dan people of Liberia, Head, Arms, Body, and Legs learn that they do better when the work together.

398.2 Pay

Paye, Won-Ldy. Mrs. Chicken and the Hungry Crocodile. New York: Holt, 2003. When a crocodile captures Mrs. Chicken, Mrs. Chicken claims that she can prove they are sisters and, therefore, the crocodile shouldn’t eat her.

398.2 Pay

Paye, Won-Ldy. The Talking Vegetables. New York: Holt, 2006. After spider refuses to help the villagers plant the vegetables, he is in for a surprise when he goes to pick some for himself.

398.2 Roc

Rockwell, Anne F. When the Drum Sang: An African Folktale. New York: Parents’ Magazine Press, 1970. An African girl sang so sweetly that a wicked Zimwe abducted her and put her in his drum.

E S

Seeger, Pete. Abiyoyo: Based on a South African Lullaby and Folk Story. New York: Simon & Schuster, 1986. Banished from the town for making mischief, a little boy and his father are welcomed back when they find a way to make the dreaded giant Abiyoyo disappear.

398.2 See

Seeger, Pete. Abiyoyo Returns. New York: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2001. Based on a South African tale, this story tells what happens when a giant who had been banished from a town by a magician thirty years earlier is called back to save the town from flooding.

398.2 She

Shepard, Aaron. Master Man: A Tall Tale of Nigeria. New York: HarperCollins, 2001. A boastful strong man learns a lesson harder than his muscles when he encounters one of Nigeria’s superheroes in this Hausa tale which explains the origin of thunder.

398.2 Was

Washington, Donna L. A Pride of African Tales. New York: HarperCollins, 2004. A collection of African folktales originating in the storytelling tradition.

784.4 Ser

Serwadda, W. Moses. Songs and stories from Uganda. New York: Crowell, 1974. Thirteen songs with accompanying stories retold from Ugandan folklore.

Biography

921 Adu

Savage, Jeff. Freddy Adu. Minneapolis: Lerner, 2006. A short biography of U.S. soccer player Freddy Adu, the youngest athlete in professiobnal team sports in more than one hundred years, and discusses his childhood in Tema, Ghana, and his experiences playing in Major League Soccer.

921 Alexander

Gunther, John. Alexander the Great. New York: Random House, 1953. A life of the warrior who, as a rince, tamed the powerful horse Bucephalus and, during his short reign as king, built an empire that covered almost all of the then-known world, including Greece, India, Egypt, and Persia.

921 Bonetta

Myers, Walter Dean. At Her Majesty’s Request: An African Princess in Victorian England. New York: Scholastic, 1999. Biography of the African princess saved from execution and taken to England where Queen Victoria oversaw her upbringing and where she lived for a time before marrying an African missionary.

921 Cleopatra

Stanley, Diane. Cleopatra. New York: Morrow Junior Books, 1994. A biography of Cleopatra, who became queen of Egypt at the age of eighteen and maintained power over her kingdom through her alliances with Julius Caesar and Marc Antony.

921 Feelings

Feelings, Tom. Black Pilgrimage. New York: Lothrop, Lee & Shepard Co., 1972. A black artist describes his life, from his birthplace in Brooklyn to his adopted home, Ghana, and how various experiences helped him develop new aspects of his talent.

921 Garvey

Lawler, Mary. Marcus Garvey. New York: Chelsea House, 1988. A biography of the African-American leader who started a “Back-to-Africa” movement in the United States, believing blacks would never receive justice in countries with a white majority.

921 Goodall

Schaefer, Lola M. Jane Goodall. Mankato, MN: Pebble Books, 2005. Presents a simple biography of Jane Goodall, focusing on her work with chimpanzees in Africa.

921 Kingsley

Brown, Don. Uncommon Traveler: Mary Kingsley in Africa. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 2000. A brief biography of the self-educated nineteenth-century Englishwoman who, after a secluded childhood and youth, traveled alone through unexplored West Africa in 1893 and 1894 and learned much about the area and its inhabitants.

921 Mandela

Cooper, Floyd. Mandela: From the Life of the South African Statesman. Puffin Books, 2000.

921 Mandela

Grant, Karima. Nelson Mandela. New York: Children’s Press, 2005. Presents an introduction to the life of Nelson Mandela, a civil rights activist who opposed apartheid in South Africa and became the country’s president in 1994.

921 Mandela

McDonough, Yona Zeldis. Peaceful Protest: The Life of Nelson Mandela. New York: Walker, 2002. A biography of the black South African leader who became a civil rights activist, political prisoner, and president of South Africa.

921 Olajuwon

Rekela, George R. Hakeem Olajuwon: Tower of Power. Minneapolis: lerner, 1993. Chronicles the career of the NBA center from his journey from Nigeria to the University of Houston through his success in professional basketball.

921 Schweitzer

Daniel, Anita. The Story of Albert Schweitzer. New York: Random House, 1957. Story of the man who was a doctor, writer, philosopher, and musician, and who ended his career as a missionary in West Africa.

921 Wheatley

Richmond, M.A. Phillis Wheatley. New York: Chelsea House Publishers, 1988. Traces the life of the Black American poet who was born in Africa, brought over to New England as a slave, and published her first poem while still a teenager.

Fiction

FIC Col

Colfer, Eoin. Benny and Omar. Dublin, Ireland: O’Brien Press, 2002. Benny hates his new life in Tunisia; none of the kids play his favorite sport, and he feels like he just doesn’t fit in, until he is befriended by Omar, a wild boy living on his talent for buying, selling, and fixing things.

FIC Far

Farmer, Nancy. The Ear, the Eye and the Arm: A Novel. New York: Puffin Books, 1994. In 2194 in Zimbabwe, General Matsika’s three children are kidnapped and put to work in a plastic mine while three mutant detectives use their special powers to search for them.

FIC Fer

Ferreira, Anton. Zulu Dog. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2002. In post-apartheid South Africa, a Zulu boy keeps secrets from his family as he cares for an injured dog and befriends the daughter of a white farmer.

FIC Lof

Lofting, Hugh. The Story of Doctor Dolittle. New York: William Morrow and Co, 1997. The adventures of a kind-hearted doctor, who is fond of animals and understands their language, as he travels to Africa with some of his favorite pets to cure the monkeys of a terrible sickness.

FIC Med

Medearis, Angela Shelf. Seven Spools of Thread: A Kwanzaa Story. Morton Grove, IL: A. Whitman, 2000. When they are given the seemingly impossible task of turning thread into gold, the seven Ashanti brothers put aside their differences, learn to get along, and embody the principles of Kwanzaa. Includes information on Kwanzaa, West African cloth weaving, and instructions for making a belt.

FIC Mon

Montgomery, R. A. Race Forever. Waitsfield, VT: Chooseco, 2005. The reader travels to Africa to compete in the African Road Rallies and can choose between alternative adventures, each leading to thirty-three possible endings.

FIC Osb

Osborne, Mary Pope. Lions at Lunchtime. New York: Random House, 1998. The magic tree house takes Jack and Annie to Africa where they meet up with wonderful wild animals, a very hungry warrior, and where they even solve a riddle.

FIC Osb

Osborne, Mary Pope. Good Morning, Gorillas. New York: Random House, 2002. The magic tree house takes Jack and Annie to an African rainforest, where the siblings encounter gorillas and learn to communicate with them.

FIC St

St. John, Lauren. The White Giraffe. New York: Dial Books for Young Readers/Walden Media, 2006. After a fire kills her parents, eleven-year-old Martine must leave England to live with her grandmother on a wildlife game reserve in South Africa, where she befriends a mythical white giraffe.

FIC Sto

Stolz, Joelle. The Shadows of Ghadames. New York: Delacorte Press, 2004. At the end of the nineteenth century in Libya, an injured stranger enters eleven-year-old Malika’s home and disrupts the traditional order of things.

FIC Wil

Williams, Mary. Brothers in Hope: The Story of the Lost Boys of Sudan. New York: Lee & Low, 2005. Eight-year-old Garang, orphaned by a civil war in Sudan, finds the inner strength to help lead other boys as they trek hundreds of miles seeking safety in Ethiopia, and then Kenya, before being offered sanctuary in the United States many years later.

Counting & Alphabet Books

E F

Feelings, Muriel L. Jambo Means Hello: Swahili Alphabet Book. New York: Dial, 1974. Presents a word, with English translation, for each of the twenty-four letters in the Swahili alphabet. Brief explanation of each word introduces an East African custom.

E F

Feelings, Muriel L. Moja Means One: Swahili Counting Book. New York: Dial Press, 1971. The numbers one through ten in Swahili accompany two-page illustrations of various aspects of East African life.

394.2 For

Ford, Juwanda. K is for Kwanzaa: A Kwanzaa Alphabet Book. New York: Scholastic, 1997. Celebrates the Africa-American holiday Kwanzaa by introducing related words, including “Africa,” “dashiki,” and “yams.”

960 Has

Haskins, James. Count Your Way Through Africa. Minneapolis: Carolrhoda, 1989. Uses the Swahili words for the numbers from one to ten to introduce the land, history, and culture of Africa.

960 Ony

Onyeufulu, Ifeoma. Emeka’s Gift: An African Counting Story. New York: Puffin, 1995. Emeka goes to visit his grandmother and wishes to take her a present. As he passes through the market he sees lots of things she would like, but with no money, he could not buy anything. Would Granny understand? The story is illustrated with photographs taken in Emeka’s village in Nigeria.

Poetry

896 Doo

Doob, Leonard William. A Crocodile has me by the Leg: African Poems. New York: Walker, 1967.

Art

709.6 Due

Duerden, Dennis. African Art. Feltham, Hamlyn, 1968.

709.6 Glu

Glubok, Shirley. The Art of Africa. New York: Harper & Row, 1965.

745 Sch

Schuman, Jo Miles. Art from Many Hands: Multicultural Art Projects. Worcester, MA: Davis Publications, 2002. Presents more than fifty art projects drawn from the cultures of West Africa, the Middle East, Europe, Asia, Oceania, Australia, the Americas, and the Caribbean.

745.5 Ker

Kerina, Jane. African Crafts. New York: Lion Press, 1970. Instructions for duplicating the crafts of various African peoples. Includes pottery, furniture, jewelry, West African textiles, and toys.

Music

781.65 Wea

Weatherford, Carole Boston. The Sound that Jazz Makes. New York: Walker, 2000. An illustrated history of the origins and influences of jazz, from Africa to contemporary America.

781.9 Die

Dietz, Betty Warner. Musical Instruments of Africa: Their Nature, Use and Place in the Life of a Deeply Musical People. New York: John Day Co., 1965.

Cooking

641.596 Nab

Nabwire, Constance R. Cooking the African Way. Minneapolis: Lerner Publications Co., 1988. An introduction to the cooking of East and West Africa, with information on the land and people. Recipes included.

Sports
(see also Biography section)

796 Wal

Wallace, Paula S. The World of Sports. Milwaukee: G. Stevens, 2003. Describes some of the most popular sports and games that are played in countries around the world including Egypt.

Animals

333.95 Tur

Turner, Pamela S. Gorilla Doctors: Saving Endangered Great Apes. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 2005. Presents a full-color-illustrated examination of the Mountain Gorillas of Rwanda, and describes the effects of human exposure on the gorillas, how emergency medical care is provided to them in the wild, and ways to protect their species form poachers and common human diseases.

597.96 McD

McDonald, Mary Ann. Cobras. Plymouth, MN: Child’s World, 1997. Describes the physical characteristics, behavior, and life-cycle of this poisonous snake which is found throughout Africa, the Middle East, and Asia.

598.2 Lit

Litwin, Wallace. Ostrich. New York: Coward, McCann & Geoghegan, 1973. Text and photographs describe a family of ostriches in Africa from the courting and mating period to the hatching of eggs and first weeks of the babies’ lives.

599 McC

McCauley, Jane R. Africa’s Animal Giants. Washington, DC: National Geographic, 1987. Introduces the physical characteristics and habits of some of the largest animals native to Africa including the elephant, giraffe, hippopotamus, rhinoceros, gorilla, Cape buffalo, lion, and ostrich.

599.15 Goo

Goodall, Jane. Rickie and Henri: A True Story. New York: Minedition/Penguin, 2004. When her human guardian goes on a business trip, Ricki, an orphaned chimpanzee infant, adopts Henri, a shaggy dog, as her “mother.”

599.63 Hat

Hatkoff, Isabella. Owen and Mzee: The True Story of a Remarkable Friendship. New York: Scholastic Press, 2006.

599.7 Ada

Adamson, Joy. Born Free, a Lioness of Two Worlds. New York: Pantheon Books, 1987. Presents the story of Elsa, who bridged the gulf between the world of the jungle and the world of man.

599.74 Yos

Yoshida, Toshi. Young Lions. New York: Philomel Books, 1989. Three lion cubs go on their first hunt, passing numerous animals on the grassy African plain before returning unsuccessfully to their parents.

599.86 Elw

Elwood, Ann. Old World Monkeys. San Diego: Wildlife Education, 1993. Examines the physical characteristics, habits, and natural environment of various species of Old World monkeys, those living in the rain forests and woodland-grassland regions of Africa and Asia.

639.9 Wex

Wexo, John Bonnett. Wild Horses. Poway, CA: Wildlife Education, 2000. Examines the physical characteristics, habits, and natural environment of various species of wild horses now found only in Africa, Asia, and zoos.

Search the library’s ECAT system for the many additional books available about African animals, including the following:

• Aardvark
• Bat
• Buffalo
• Cheetah
• Chimpanzee
• Cobra
• Crocodiles
• Elephant
• Gazelle
• Giraffe
• Gorilla
• Hedgehog
• Hippopotamus
• Hyena
• Impala
• Jackal
• Leopard
• Lion
• Mole
• Monkey
• Ostrich
• Otter
• Porcupine
• Rhinoceros
• Shrew
• Whale
• Wildebeest
• Zebra

General Information about African People, Culture, and Land

916 Chu

Chu, Daniel. A Glorious Age in Africa: The Story of Three Great African Empires. Garden City, NY: Doubleday, 1965.

916 Ell

Ellis, Veronica Freeman. Afro-Bets, First Book About Africa: An Introduction for Young Readers. Orange, NJ: Just Us Books, 1989. Briefly discusses the history, land, and cultures of Africa as told to the Afro-Bets kids by storyteller Mr. Amegashie.

916 Geo

Georges, D.V. Africa. Chicago: Children’s Press, 1986. Briefly describes Africa’s regions: the Middle East countries, the Sahara, the equatorial rain forest, the west coast, East Africa, island countries off the southeast coast, and southern Africa.

916 Kre

Kreikemeier, Gregory Scott. Come with me to Africa: A Photographic Journey. Racine, WI: Western Pub., 1993. Presents nearly 100 photographs, accompanied by a first-person account of the author’s six-month trans-African expedition.

940.5 Ski

Skipper, G.C. Fall of the Fox, Rommel. Chicago: Children’s Press, 1980. Describes the events that turned victory to defeat for the German troops in North Africa led by field Marshall Rommel during World War II.

953 Lan

Lancaster, Fidelity. The Bedouin. New York: Gloucester Press, 1978. Describes the life, history, customs, and changing world of the Arabic-speaking nomads in the Middle East and North Africa.

960 Ayo

Ayo, Yvonne. Africa. New York: Knopf, 1995. Describes the traditional lifestyles, beliefs, skills, and crafts of the African peoples.

960 Fai

Fairfield, Sheila. Peoples and Nations of Africa: A Short History of Each Country of Africa. Milwaukee: Gareth Stevens Pub., 1988. Presents a history of each nation of Africa explaining the origins of the people and the religion, language, culture, and migrations that accompanied development towards nationhood.

960 Hal

Halliburton, Warren J. African Industries. New York: Crestwood House, 1993. An examination of the agricultural and industrial products of the African countries. Uses photographs to convey visually the spirit of the African industries.

960 Hal

Halliburton, Warren J. African Landscapes. New York: Crestwood House, 1993. Introduces the African landscape, its rain forests, deserts, rivers and lakes, mountains, grasslands, and rifts. Uses photographs to convey visually the spirit and beauty of the African landscapes.

960 Hal

Halliburton, Warren J. Africa’s Struggle for Independence. New York: Crestwood House, 1992. Examines the history of the independence movement in Africa, from the European colonization of the continent to the present.

960 Hal

Halliburton, Warren J. Africa’s Struggle to Survive. New York: Crestwood House, 1993. Surveys the history and peoples of Africa and discusses the economic, political, and social developments that have arisen as that continent’s countries struggle to survive. Uses photographs to convey visually the spirit of Africa’s struggle to survive.

960 Hal

Halliburton, Warren J. City and Village Life. New York: Crestwood House, 1993. Examines life in Africa’s villages and cities and how increasing urbanization is creating changes in African society. Uses photographs to convey visually the spirit of the African nation.

960 Mus

Musgrove, Margaret. Ashanti to Zulu: African Traditions. New York: Dial Books for Young Readers, 1976. Explains some traditions and customs of 26 African tribes beginning with letters from A to Z.

966 McK

McKissack, Pat. The Royal Kingdoms of Ghana, Mali, and Songhay: Life in Medieval Africa. New York: H. Holt, 1994. Examines the civilizations of the Western Sudan which flourished from 700 to 1700 A.D., acquiring such vast wealth that they became centers of trade and culture for a continent.

967.51 Hen

Henry-Biabaud, Chantal. Living in the Heart of Africa. Ossining, NY: Young Discovery Library, 1991. Describes aspects of daily life along the Zaire River in Africa.

967.6 Sha

Shachtman, Tom. Growing up Masai. New York: Macmillan, 1981. Describes the daily activities of two young members of the Masai tribe.

R 301.45 Kun

Junjufu, Jawanza. Lessons from History: A Celebration in Blackness. Chicago: African-American Images, 1987. Surveys the history and civilization of Africa and the culture and contributions of blacks both there and in America.

R 916 Cul

Cultural Atlas of Africa. New York: Facts on File, 1981. Includes a physical description of Africa’s geography, its cultural background, and a country-by-country survey of each state.

Democratic Republic of the Congo

967.51 Wyn

Wynaden, Jo. Welcome to the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Milwaukee: Gareth Stevens, 2002. Presents an overview of the geography, history, government, economy, people, and culture of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Egypt

222 Kas

Kassirer, Sue. Joseph and His Coat of Many Colors. New York: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 1997. After being sold into slavery in Egypt by his jealous brothers, Joseph becomes an important man and is able to come to his family’s rescue during a famine.

299 Bar

Barker, Henry. Egyptian Gods and Goddesses. New York: Grosset & Dunlap, 1999. Recounts the religious beliefs of ancient Egypt, discussing various gods and goddesses and their attributes.

299 Fis

Fisher, Leonard Everett. The Gods and Goddesses of Ancient Egypt. New York: Holiday House, 1997. Relates the history of the gods and goddesses worshipped by the ancient Egyptians and describes how they were depicted.

393 Ali

Aliki. Mummies Made in Egypt. New York: Crowell, 1979. Describes the techniques and the reasons for the use of mummification in ancient Egypt.

393 Gan

Ganeri, Anita. Pharaohs & Mummies. Nw York: Ladybird Books, 1996. Travel back in time to ancient Egypt and enter King Tutankhamen’s tomb, read and write hieroglyphs, and feel a piece of real papyrus.

393 Pac

Pace, Mildred Mastin. Wrapped for Eternity: The Story of the Egyptian Mummy. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1974. Explores the mysteries of the mummification process, tomb robbing, x-raying of mummy bundles, and myths about mummies.

411 Sco

Scott, Henry Joseph. Egyptian Hieroglyphs for Everyone: An Introduction to the Writing of Ancient Egypt. New York: Funk & Wagnalls, 1968. Describes the grammar, pronunciation, and writing of words and sentences in hieroglyphs.

493 Gib

Giblin, James. The Riddle of the Rosetta Stone: Key to Ancient Egypt. New York: Crowell, 1990. Describes how the discovery and deciphering of the Rosetta Stone unlocked the secret of Egyptian hieroglyphics.

493 Kat

Katan, Norma Jean. Hieroglyphs, the Writing of Ancient Egypt. New York: Atheneum, 1981. Explains the origins of hieroglyphs and what they mean, tells how this ancient form of writing was decoded, and describes the training and importance of scribes.

709.32 Glu

Glubok, Shirley. The Art of Egypt Under the Pharaohs. New York: Macmillan, 1980. Surveys Egyptian art from Dynasty 1 through the Ptolemaic Period, approximately 3200 through 30 BC, discussing it in terms of the history and culture of the period.

909 Put

Putnam, James. Pyramid. New York: Knopf, 1994. Discover the timeless grandeur of the pyramids—from the massive tombs of Egypt’s pharaohs to the majestic temples of ancient Mexico.

913.32 Boa

Boase, Wendy. Ancient Egypt. New York: Gloucester Press, 1978. Discusses the history, rulers, and culture of ancient Egypt.

913.32 Dea

Deary, Terry. The Awesome Egyptians. New York: Scholastic, 1993.

913.32 Glu

Glubok, Shirley. Discovering Tut-ankh-Amen’s Tomb. New York: Macmillan, 1968. Describes archaeologist Howard Carter’s discovery of the tomb of Tut-ankh-amen and the artifacts found there.

913.32 Glu

Glubok, Shirley. The Mummy of Ramose: The Life and Death of an Ancient Egyptian Nobleman. New York: Harper & Row, 1978. Describes the life of an Egyptian nobleman of the Eighteenth Dynasty and the mummification and funeral rites that followed his death.

913.32 Mac

Macaulay, David. Pyramid. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1975. Text and black-and-white illustrations follow the intricate step-by-step process of the building of an ancient Egyptian pyramid.

913.32 Rob

Robinson, Charles Alexander. The First Book of Ancient Egypt. New York: Watts, 1961. The development of the Egyptian civilization is traced through the periods of Egypt’s history form about 4000 BC to the downfall of old Egypt in 1085 BC.

930.1 Lau

Lauber, Patricia. Tales Mummies Tell. New York: Crowell, 1985. Explains how the study of mummies, both natural and man-made, can reveal information about ancient civilizations and prehistoric life.

932 Abe

Abels, Harriette Shefer. The Pyramids. Mankato, MN: Crestwood House, 1987. Examines the various mysteries of the Great Pyramid of Cheops, discussing its design and construction in ancient Egypt and if predictions about the future and confirmations of truths from the Bible can be found within its walls.

Ethiopia

963 Pan

Pankhurst, Richard. Let’s Visit Ethiopia. London: Burke Pub., 1984. Describes the geography, history, religious life, and people of this isolated country situated in the northeastern corner of Africa.

Kenya

967.62 Fon

Fontes, Justine. Kenya. New York: Children’s Press, 2003. Explores the history, geography, economy, people, culture, and other aspects of Kenya, featuring a topic for each letter of the alphabet.

967.62 Jac

Jacobsen, Karen. Kenya. Chicago: Children’s Press, 1991. Introduces Kenya, home to more than forty Africa tribes as well as people form Asia and Europe.

967.62 Kin

King, David C. Kenya. Vero Beach, FL: Rourke Book Co., 1995. Describes the people, cities, ancient cultures, geography, and history of Kenya.

Nigeria

372.8 Chi

Children are Children are Children: An Activity Approach to Exploring Brazil, France, Iran, Japan, Nigeria and the USSR. Boston: Little, Brown, 1978. Describe the life and customs of various countries, including Nigeria, with suggestions for related activities and projects.

966.9 Bar

Barker, Carol. A Family in Nigeria. Minneapolis: Lerner Publications, 1985. Describes the life of Thaddeus, a twelve-year-old boy who lives in a Nigerian village.

966.9 Ker

Kerr, Esther. Welcome to Nigeria. Milwaukee: Gareth Stevens Pub., 2002. Describes the history, geography, economy, government, language, arts, social life, and customs of Nigeria.

966.9 Ros

Rosenberg, Anne. Nigeria: The Culture. New York: Crabtree, 2001. Text and photographs provide information about the culture of Nigeria, discussing the country’s religions, celebrations, traditions, clothing styles, arts and crafts, music and dance, masks, language, and literature.

Sahara Desert

960 Hal

Halliburton, Warren J. Nomads of the Sahara. New York: Crestwood House, 1992. Describes the history, culture, and daily life of the four nomadic groups that make their homes in the Sahara Desert.

966 Rey

Reynolds, Jan. Sahara: Vanishing Cultures. San Diego: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1991. Describs the way of life of the Tuaregs, a nomadic culture that presently exists in the Sahara, the world’s largest desert.

Somalia

967.73 God

Godbeer, Deardre. Somalia. New York: Chelsea House, 1988. Briefly discusses the geography, history, people, industry, religion, storytellers, poets, wildlife, and modern-day life in Somalia.

South Africa

968 Mor

Moritz, Patricia M. South Africa. Vero Beach, FL: Rourke Corp., 1998. Describes some of the major cities and regions of this country located at the southern tip of the African continent.

968 Mul

Mulla-Feroze, Umaima. Welcome to South Africa. Milwaukee: G. Stevens, 2003. An introduction to the geography, history, government, economy, people, and culture of South Africa.

968 Ngu

Nugbane, Harriet. Zulus of Southern Africa. Vero Beach, FL: Rourke Publications, 1987. Introduces the history, culture, and everyday life of the Zulus, their interactions with white settlers, and opposition to the system of racial segregation known as apartheid.

Tanzania

967.6 Mar

Margolis, Barbara A. Olbalbal: A Day in Maasailand. New York: Four Winds Press, 1994. Text and photographs describe life in a Masai village in Tanzania.

Uganda

361.7 Sho

Shoveller, Herb. Ryan and Jimmy and the Well in Africa that Brought them Together. Toronto: Kids Can Press, 2006. Chronicles the friendship of Ryan Hreljac and Akana Jimmy, who became pen pals after Ryan, a Canadian boy, raised money to build a well in Jimmy’s village in Uganda, and explains how they became brothers.

Zimbabwe

968.9 Jac

Jacobsen, Karen. Zimbabwe. Chicago: Children’s Press, 1990. Introduces the geography, history, people, and culture of Zimbabwe.

Videotapes

VC 916 Kid

Kids Explore Kenya. Oregon Encounter Video, 1990.

VC 962.7 Gha

Ghana. Naples, NY: Ernst interactive Media Publications, 1996. Shows life and customs in Ghana.