The Girl in the Tree and Other Tales From Africa

The Girl in the Tree and Other Tales From Africa
Author: A. Sakyiama
Publisher: Pepper Pot Books
Total Pages: 60
Release:
Genre: Social Science
ISBN:

If you were sitting in a tree and could only come down for someone you would like to marry, who would you pick? * The best dancer? * The very rich one? * Or the very strong and fearsome one, who promises to cut off the head of anyone who bothers you? Decisions, decisions! Monka was the girl in the tree. Who did she pick? Did she even pick? And, why on earth did anyone think that this was a good way to pick a husband? Read Monka's story and other tales of courtship and love. I have to warn you though, if you're looking for "lovey-dovey, happily-ever-after" stories, these are not it.

The Yam Child and Other Tales From West Africa

The Yam Child and Other Tales From West Africa
Author: A. Sakyiama
Publisher: Pepper Pot Books
Total Pages: 63
Release:
Genre: Juvenile Fiction
ISBN:

From talking yam tubers and polite little boys who throw up money, to the deliciously scary story of a disrespectful little girl who sets out to find something to see, this second collection of stories in the African Fireside Classics series has something for everyone.

All Set about with Fever Trees and Other Stories

All Set about with Fever Trees and Other Stories
Author: Pam Durban
Publisher: University of Georgia Press
Total Pages: 228
Release: 1995-08-01
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 9780820317755

The seven stories in Pam Durban's widely praised debut collection are tales of family, of love and loss, of survival and affirmation. Durban's resonant prose subtly obliges her readers to experience the rush of icy water in a stream, the taste of greens freshly snatched from an overgrown garden, the dread weight of confusion and uncertainty. In "This Heat," the opening story, a mill worker faces the long-expected loss of her teenage son when his weak heart finally gives out. In the title story, which concludes the collection, a formidably eccentric woman abruptly leaves her daughter and granddaughter to answer a "calling" to do missionary work in Africa. Framed between these two stories is a gathering of characters made real and consequential by Durban's touch: a country singer more than a few big breaks short of stardom, a preadolescent boy lovestruck over his private swimming instructor, a father cut off from his children by haunting war memories, and others.

The Girls in the Wild Fig Tree

The Girls in the Wild Fig Tree
Author: Nice Leng'ete
Publisher: Hachette UK
Total Pages: 230
Release: 2021-09-14
Genre: Biography & Autobiography
ISBN: 0316267864

An "elegant and inspiring memoir" by the human rights activist who changed the minds of her elders, reformed traditions from the inside, and is creating a better future for girls and women throughout Africa (Sonia Faleiro, New York Times). Nice Leng`ete was raised in a Maasai village in Kenya. In 1998, when Nice was six, her parents fell sick and died, and Nice and her sister Soila were taken in by their father’s brother, who had little interest in the girls beyond what their dowries might fetch. Fearing “the cut” (female genital mutilation, a painful and sometimes deadly ritualistic surgery), which was the fate of all Maasai women, Nice and Soila climbed a tree to hide. Nice hoped to find a way to avoid the cut forever, but Soila understood it would be impossible. But maybe if one of the sisters submitted, the other would be spared. After Soila chose to undergo the surgery, sacrificing herself to save Nice, their lives diverged. Soila married, dropped out of school, and had children–all in her teenage years–while Nice postponed receiving the cut, continued her education, and became the first in her family to attend college. Supported by Amref, Nice used visits home to set an example for what an uncut Maasai woman can achieve. Other women listened, and the elders finally saw the value of intact, educated girls as the way of the future. The village has since ended FGM entirely, and Nice continues the fight to end FGM throughout Africa, and the world. Nice’s journey from “heartbroken child and community outcast, to leader of the Maasai” is an inspiration and a reminder that one person can change the world–and every girl is worth saving.

Anna Hibiscus

Anna Hibiscus
Author: Atinuke
Publisher: Candlewick Press
Total Pages: 113
Release: 2022-04-05
Genre: Juvenile Fiction
ISBN: 1536226939

From acclaimed Nigerian storyteller Atinuke, the first in a series of chapter books set in contemporary West Africa introduces a little girl who has enchanted young readers. Anna Hibiscus lives in Africa, amazing Africa, with her mother and father, her twin baby brothers (Double and Trouble), and lots of extended family in a big white house with a beautiful garden in a compound in a city. Anna is never lonely—there are always cousins to play and fight with, aunties and uncles laughing and shouting, and parents and grandparents close by. Readers will happily follow as she goes on a seaside vacation, helps plan a party for Auntie Comfort from Canada (will she remember her Nigerian ways?), learns firsthand what it’s really like to be a child selling oranges outside the gate, and longs to see sweet snow. Nigerian storyteller Atinuke’s debut book for children and its sequels, with their charming (and abundant) gray-scale drawings by Lauren Tobia, are newly published in the US by Candlewick Press, joining other celebrated Atinuke stories in captivating young readers.

I Am a Girl from Africa

I Am a Girl from Africa
Author: Elizabeth Nyamayaro
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Total Pages: 272
Release: 2021-04-20
Genre: Biography & Autobiography
ISBN: 1982113014

"The inspiring journey of a girl from Africa whose near-death experience sparked a dream that changed the world"--

The Hunter and the Ebony Tree

The Hunter and the Ebony Tree
Author:
Publisher: Moon Mountain Publishing
Total Pages: 36
Release: 2002
Genre: Juvenile Fiction
ISBN: 9780967792996

From the Zarma culture of West Africa come this folk tale of a hunter who must overcome am impossible challenge before he can marry the girl he loves.

The Brave Little African Girl

The Brave Little African Girl
Author: Thabitha Mathabatha
Publisher: AuthorHouse
Total Pages: 49
Release: 2020-03-30
Genre: Body, Mind & Spirit
ISBN: 1728351898

Fofo, a brave, little African girl, lives with her brothers and her strict aunt in the jungle. Fofo is tired of following her brothers around, and one day she decides to venture off by herself to swim in the natural pool at the foot of the mountain. As Fofo enjoys the refreshing spring water, she doesn’t realize she’s in danger. And then, on the bank, she hears the cry of an animal. She saves a baby lion being born, names him Angel, and carries the cub home. However, Fofo must give up the animal so it can be returned to the wild. That makes her sad and depressed. Her schoolwork suffers, and her grades drop. But her teachers help her get her spark back. This picture book for children delivers that message that it takes a village to raise a child. Through the love of Fofo’s family and friends, and especially her teachers, she’s able to find joy in her life again.

African Myths & Tales

African Myths & Tales
Author:
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Total Pages: 561
Release: 2020-07-07
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 1839643102

Africa south of the Sahara is a land of wide-ranging traditions and varying cultures. Despite the diversity and the lack of early written records, the continent possesses a rich body of folk tales and legends that have been passed down through the strong custom of storytelling and which often share similar elements, characters and ideas between peoples. So this collection offers a hefty selection of legends and tales – stories of the gods, creation and origins, trickster exploits, animal fables and stories which entertain and edify – from ‘Obatala Creates Mankind’, from the Yoruba people of west Africa, to ‘The Girl Of The Early Race, Who Made Stars’, from the San people of southern Africa, all collected in a gorgeous gold-foiled and embossed hardback to treasure.

Wangari's Trees of Peace

Wangari's Trees of Peace
Author: Jeanette Winter
Publisher: HarperCollins
Total Pages: 37
Release: 2008-09-21
Genre: Juvenile Nonfiction
ISBN: 0547546386

As a young girl growing up in Kenya, Wangari was surrounded by trees. But years later when she returns home, she is shocked to see whole forests being cut down, and she knows that soon all the trees will be destroyed. So Wangari decides to do something—and starts by planting nine seedlings in her own backyard. And as they grow, so do her plans. . . . This true story of Wangari Maathai, environmentalist and winner of the Nobel Peace Prize, is a shining example of how one woman’s passion, vision, and determination inspired great change. Includes an author’s note. This book was printed on 100% recycled paper with 50% postconsumer waste.