Best Children's Books About Africa
Ranked #1,539 in Books, Poetry & Writing, #66,169 overall
Picture Books about Africa for Preschool or Elementary Aged Kids
When children are preschool and elementary school students, they are full of wonder and excitement about learning. It is a great time to expose them to people and places that are not familiar to them. Today's children's television has learned that lesson, and is using Diego and Dora to teach about Spanish speakers and culture, and Ni Hao Kai-Lan to teach about Chinese speakers and culture. Notably absent is any coverage of the continent of Africa.
Children are naturally drawn to books about African people and culture. Many of the zoo animals they are fond of are from the African continent and play pivotal roles in the fables retold in children's picture books about Africa. Also, music (especially drums) are a large part of their traditions. But what are we teaching our children about Africa? Are we giving them an accurate depiction? On this page, I'll show you the best children's books about Africa so that you can introduce your child to the continent and it's people through their pages.
Photo by : DigitalArt2
A is for Africa by Ifeoma Onyefulu
A Is for Africa
Amazon Price: $1.21 (as of 05/28/2012)
Beautiful, brightly colored photographs taken in villages in Nigeria. Each picture illustrates a word that corresponds with a letter from the alphabet. For instance, "D" is for "Drums". The picture shows a young boy drumming, and has several sentences telling about why drums are important and how they are used. All of the pictures and write-ups are interesting and engaging.
Bringing Rain to Kapiti Plain by Verna Aardema
Bringing the Rain to Kapiti Plain (Reading Rainbow Books)
Amazon Price: $3.25 (as of 05/28/2012)
"Bringing Rain to Kapiti Plain" is a beautiful story from Kenya. The story is told in this book through a repeating rhyme, similar to "The House That Jack Built". The story is about a herdsman using a bow and a feather to shoot the rain out of the sky to relieve the land from extreme drought. The artwork that corresponds with the poem is fantastic! What I love about this book is all the extra, subtle lessons a child can learn from this book. They will learn that plants need water to grow, that cows eat plants, that rain comes from clouds and so much more. It's also a great way to teach about mythology, folklore and oral tradition, especially in cultures you find in Africa.
Lesson Plan for "Bringing Rain to Kapiti Plain" from Utah State Univ.
Rookie Read About the World : Africa by Allan Fowler
Africa (Rookie Read-About Geography)
Amazon Price: $2.16 (as of 05/28/2012)
This short book fills in so many of the gaps that other books about Africa have. It begins with showing where Africa is on a world map, and then begins to describe interesting places, wildlife and things about life in Africa. I love that it shows cities in this book, with people living very similarly to how people in a Western country would live in a city. Most other books about Africa focus on village living, and I think it's important to show that Africa is more than just that.
Anansi the Spider by Gerald McDermott
Anansi the Spider: A Tale from the Ashanti
Amazon Price: $3.90 (as of 05/28/2012)
An endearing tale from Ghana, this story tells about how the moon came to be. Anansi the spider and his spider sons star in this bright red book, with their spider bodies being drawn in dark black. The contrast in the artwork make it a favorite of even the littlest children. Each spider has something they are good at, and through teamwork are able to help their father. It's a great way to teach teamwork concepts, but also that you should use your talents to help others.
What is Africa?
Africa is NOT a country!
Africa is Not a Country by Margy Burns Knight
Africa Is Not A Country
Amazon Price: $5.98 (as of 05/28/2012)
This book is one of the few about Africa written for children that take the time to show Africa is many different countries making up a continent. Most books generalize Africa, but this book shows pictures and gives facts about all the countries in Africa, so that your child can see that there are differences. Also, they will be able to compare and contrast their daily lives with those of different children in Africa. Overall, this is a book that will inspire a lot of learning.
Why Do Mosquitoes Buzz in People's Ears by Verna Aardema
Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People's Ears: A West African Tale
Amazon Price: $3.43 (as of 05/28/2012)
"Why Do Mosquitoes Buzz in Peoples Ears" is another great folk story from the author of "Bringing the Rain to Kapiti Plain", Verna Aardema tells a story about the mosquito buzzing in someone's ear, and it sets off a whole unintended set of events. There are many different animals in this book, which always delights my daughter when we read it.
Lesson Plan for "Why Do Mosquitoes Buzz in People's Ears" from Teacher Vision
My Other Sites About Children's Books
Do You Teach Your Child(ren) About the Rest of the World?
If so, what medium do you use? Books? Travel?
-
-
Travis Hurst
Nov 11, 2010 @ 2:32 pm | delete
- Bringing Rain to Kapiti Plain by Verna Aardema had to be one of my favorite books when i was younger i couldn't help but read more books like this one. and i found this African-American Book Publisher that just kept reading interesting for me
-
-
-
Irenemaria
Nov 10, 2009 @ 2:31 pm | delete
- Lovely lens! I have two grandchildren living in Africa with their parents. It is so far away.... you made a really nice lens here... 5* from me
-
-
-
Heather426
Nov 1, 2009 @ 7:42 pm | delete
- Some really cool books!
-
-
-
rms Nov 1, 2009 @ 2:51 pm | delete
- Cool books!
-
-
-
Sylvestermouse
Nov 1, 2009 @ 10:24 am | delete
- Great collection of books. Who doesn't love those beautiful and fascinating animals from Africa?
-
- Load More
by amy1980
More About Me
Things I am: a wife, a mother, a Texan, a small business owner, a Sunday School coordinator, a freelance writer, a voracious reader, a computer...
more »
- 34 featured lenses
- Winner of 7 trophies!
- Top lens » Toddler Bible Songs
