Activities for Advent Day 4 Yesterday, we talked about how Sin had entered the world and how Adam and Eve were ejected from Eden. After that, people became more and more evil. In this video, God chose to destroy all the wicked people in the world with a flood, but he saved Noah, his family,…
Category: Africa
Picture Books that Celebrate Black History Month
When I think about black history, I initially think about Africa, the cradle of black people, but I also think about the black people who currently live in other lands now, like here in the USA. In my opinion, Black History Month is about all black people. Here is a list of the Black History…
Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People – A Picture Book by Verna Aardema – Fabulous Illustrations by Leo & Diane Dillon
Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People’s Ears Verna Aardema Illustrated by Leo and Diane Dillon Dial Books 1975 A Retelling of West African Tale Before I show you this book, I want to say that this is one of my all-time favorite picture books. I love the story, but the illustration are absolutely masterful. “One morning…
Hula-Hoopin’ Queen – A Picture Book by Thelma Lynne Godin
Hula-Hoopin’ Queen Thelma Lynne Godin Illustrated by Vanessa Brantley-Newton Lee & Low Books, 2014 I like Hula-Hoopin’ Queen for several reasons, but I mainly like the book because it offers the readers a glimpse of a rather contemporary African-American community. Although it is not historical yet, I am listing Hula-Hoopin’ Queen as appropriate for Black…
We All Went on Safari: A Counting Journey through Tanzania by Laurie Krebs art by Julia Cairns
We All Went On Safari is an African Counting Tale written in rhyme and delightfully illustrated by Julia Cairns. The Swahili name of each of the numbers is a wonderful addition to the story. Following is a fabulous reading of the book by someone who knows how to pronounce the Swahili words. The video also…
Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People’s Ears by Verna Aardema – Pictures by Leo and Diane Dillon
I cannot recommend this book highly enough. The text, a West African tale, is perfectly written, and the illustrations are superb. I have read this book to groups many times, and I have used the art in the book to teach art to all ages. Certainly, Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People’s Ears is a must-read…
Kente Cloth: Patterns to Color by kwaku ofori-ansa
“Kente is a cloth that is woven by the Asante people of Ghana in West Africa. The history of kente weaving extends back more than 400 years. Kente is woven by hand on a narrow wooden loom. The four-inch strips of fabric are then sewn together to make pieces of cloth. “The word ‘kente’ comes…
The Spider Weaver: A Legend of Kente Cloh by Margaret Musgrove
“Once, long ago, in an Ashanti village in the country of Ghana, there lived two expert weavers. One weaver was called Kofi. The other one was Yaw. These men wove a simple cloth called nwen-ntoma. And everyone from the king of the Ashanti people to the poorest child wore it.” “Late one night, Kofi and…
The Veldt by Ray Bradbury
Back History Before You Read the Story The Veldt by Ray Bradbury. Bradbury will mention Rima in the story The Veldt. I had to do some research to understand who she was, Rima was an idealized girl of the jungle in GREEN MANSIONS: A Romance of the Tropical Forest by W. H. Hudson, published in…