Africa Books

Pyramid

David Macaulay

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 15 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

David Macaulay has done it again 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

Following in the tradition of other terrific books about complex construction projects using simple technology - such as Castle and Cathedral - Macaulay introduces children to the pyramids of ancient Egypt. And once again he hits a homerun, with a storyline that's just informative enough to create context but simple enough for young children to follow. Oh, did I mention the outstanding illustrations? This is a terrific book for kids and children alike. I bought it for my four-year-old son but I ended up learning quite a bit myself.

Pyramid = mystery 3 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

`Pyramid` (1975) is Macaulay's third book. It shows the building of a hypothetical pyramid similar in size to Giza. Unfortunately Macaulay took on a difficult subject. There is still controversy about how exactly the pyramids were built. The 4-ramp model shown in the book is just one of many ideas, and not even proven to work. The latest theory is described in Khufu: The Secrets Behind the Building of the Great Pyramid, involving a series of internal and external ramps (see a BBC article about it in the note below). Given this, it's hard to know what else in the book is accurate, or conjecture. Macaulay is at his best when he demystifies the world around us, but in this case the pyramids really are a mystery, and so it leaves the impression of inaccuracy. However we can probably assume some of it is right (the tools for example). Like all Maccaulay books, it's an enjoyable and impressive journey through history. Just don't rely on it as a blueprint for building your own pyramid!

Editorial Review:

Through concise text and richly detailed black and white illustrations we come to know the philosophy of life and death in ancient Egypt.

Ancient Egypt (Eyewitness Books)

George Hart

List Price: $19.00 By: Alfred A. Knopf Amazon Marketplace: 49 new & used starting at $0.01

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 12 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Solid introduction to Ancient Egypt for younger readers 4 out of 5 stars.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.

This is another in the series of books published under the "Eyewitness Books" imprimatur. These are designed for younger readers, to introduce them to important subjects. The focus here? Ancient Egypt.

To understand human history, a sense of Egypt's role is critical, just as the study of Greece and Rome. This book does a nice job for its audience; those who want in depth discussion ought to look elsewhere.

The volume begins with a brief history of Egypt and notes the role of the Pharaohs (including an enumeration of some of the more important/renowned (e.g., Akhenaton, Ramses, Thutmosis, and Tutankhamen), with some consideration of the nature of the royal court.

In some ways, as with many others in this series, the approach is "pastiche," featuring a variety of subjects, each discussed quite briefly. But, when one pouts these together, the end result is a decent introduction to key features of the subject covered.

One gets a sound introduction to "everyday life" in Ancient Egypt, including coverage of such topics as food and drink, song and dance, magic and medicine, writing, adorning the body, and so on.

In short, a nice volume for younger readers, to provide them some background regarding an important subject for understanding who we are and where we came from. Also worth noting is the wonderful set of rich illustrations.

Editorial Review:

Full-color photos. From the splendor of the pharaoh's court to the everyday life of ordinary people, the great civilization of the Nile valley is revealed in page after page of dramatic photos of the objects they left behind: human and animal mummies, reed brushes, children's pull-toys, and more. "Stunning."--School Library Journal.  

Wangari's Trees of Peace: A True Story from Africa

Jeanette Winter

Amazon Price: $11.56 List Price: $17.00 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Harcourt Children's Books Amazon Marketplace: 49 new & used starting at $7.75

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 1 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

This is one "get-it-done" woman 4 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

"The earth was naked. For me the mission was to try to cover it with green." - Wangari Maathai

Growing up in the shadow of Mount Kenya in Africa, Wangari is surrounded by an umbrella of green trees. The trees protect the birds, provide firewood to the women of the village and help keep the soil rich for the sweet potatoes, sugarcane and maize Wangari helps to harvest.

Wangari travels to America for school, but when she returns six years later, the trees are gone. No crops grow, the birds are gone and the women have to travel far distances to find firewood. On World Environment Day in 1977, Wangari plants nine seedlings in her backyard and begins the Green Belt Movement which, over the next 27 years, plants thirty million trees across Africa.

Wangari's Trees of Peace: a true story from Africa is the story of one woman's effort to return green to Africa. Told in Jeanette Winter's simple language and blocky, colorful illustrations, Wangari's Trees of Peace is wonderful means to introduce 3-to-7-year- olds to environmentalism, the interconnected nature of ecosystems and political activitism. It also introduces some difficult subjects that may make some children and parents uncomfortable: prejudice ("Women can't do this"), violence ("Wangari blocks their way, so they hit her with clubs") and imprisonment ("They call her a troublemaker and put her in jail").

While Winter's tale simplifies Wangari's story to a basic level, it carries within it an important message, that one person can make a difference. Wangari's simple act of planting a tree translates to an important environmental movement and Wangari receiving the Nobel Peace Prize. Children are innate idealists and it is never too early to foster their belief that they can achieve anything.

In keeping with the environmental nature of Wangari's Trees of Peace, the book is printed on 100 percent recycled paper with 50 percent post-consumer waste.

Armchair Interviews says: Book both educates and entertains.

Editorial Review:

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.

 

 

African Critters

Robert B. Haas

Amazon Price: $12.21 List Price: $17.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: National Geographic Children's Books Amazon Marketplace: 43 new & used starting at $8.00

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Subjects -> Children's Books -> Animals -> Elephants -> Nonfiction

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 1 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

With a dramatic first-person narrative and close-up photography that brings kids into the thick of the action, National Geographic photographer Robert B. Haas gives us a rare glimpse into the struggles for survival in the African wilderness. We accompany him in his jeep, camera primed and ready to react. With stories and photographs that portray actual events, we wait patiently to spot leopard cubs coming out of their cave to play; we are charged by protective adult elephants who surround a new-born; we move side-by-side with a clan of wild dogs as they hunt impalas.

All the stories in the book are intimate, engaging, and true. Haas shares his work with readers, teaching the key lessons that all wildlife photographers live by: patience, persistence, and an intense interest in animals. "When we are out there, we are working inside a world that is both fascinating and historic." This beautiful and inviting book draws readers into Haas’s passion for Africa, for conservation, and for finding harmony between the actions of humans and the survival of wild animals.

African Critters is a wonderful holiday gift for animal lovers of all ages, a valuable sourcebook for school reports, and an essential addition to any animal book collection.

Pyramids: 50 Hands-On Activities to Experience Ancient Egypt (Kaleidoscope Kids)

Avery Hart, Paul Mantell

Amazon Price: $10.36 List Price: $12.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Williamson Publishing Company Amazon Marketplace: 58 new & used starting at $3.73

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 4 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

wonderful creative ideas 5 out of 5 stars.
77 of 77 people found this review helpful.

This book is packed with many wonderful creative ideas to help children become very involved in learning about ancient Egypt. I was really impressed. We homeschool and found this to be one of the best purchases we've made while learning about this ancient civilization. I should note that online the recommended age is 9-12. However, on the back of the book it is clearly printed for kids ages 6-12. My daughter is 7 and we found it to be age appropriate.

Editorial Review:

Don't just read about it -- DO IT! Children will become part of ancient Egypt, playing Senat (a game like draughts), dressing in a nemes (head-dress) and male kilt, eating Egyptian honey-barley flatbread, writing in hieroglyphics, dancing like an Egyptian, building a living model of the Nile valley. Discover Pyramid Power! Get to know the wonders of the pyramids by exploring King Tut's tomb, making a pyramid-building sledge, creating pyramids of cardboard, clay, blocks, cans and discovering the mysteries of the mummies, the Sphinx, and a Soul House. How old is ancient? Learn about linear timing by developing meaningful comparisons, using visualisations and creating timelines.

The Pharaohs of Ancient Egypt (Landmark Books)

Elizabeth Payne

List Price: $5.99 By: Random House Childrens Books (Lib) Amazon Marketplace: 6 new & used starting at $5.29

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 8 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

An Effective Introduction to Ancient Egypt for Children 5 out of 5 stars.
54 of 58 people found this review helpful.

Written for children who are independent readers, Pharaohs of Ancient Egypt was, nevertheless, a fascinating introduction to Ancient Egypt for all my children. My younger daughter was in first grade at the time and needed some help with the reading, but the stories themselves were of great interest to her. It was fun for me to see all three of them learn about the Rosetta Stone and other archaeological discoveries, most of which I hadn't learned about until I was well past childhood. It's amazing what children will find interesting when it comes wrapped in a story. Although some may regard the story-telling as somewhat fanciful (obviously we don't really know what most of these people really thought or felt), the author has succeeded in her quest to bring the attention of the reader into the context of the history she describes.

We bought this book along with the Greenleaf Guide to Ancient Eqypt, which listed it as one of its primary texts for children's history. I recommend that book, along Tony Allan's Time Traveller Book of Pharaohs and Pyramids, if you are going to teach your children the history of ancient Egypt. The Greenleaf book helps you organize your children's study with questions and projects (along with recommended resources), while the well-illustrated Time Traveller book helps the children visualize what they're reading about.

Editorial Review:

Discusses the life and history of ancient Egypt from earliest times through the reign of Ramses II, as it has been pieced together from the work of archaeologists.

Facing the Lion: Growing Up Maasai on the African Savanna (National Geographic)

Joseph Lemasolai Lekuton, Herman Viola

Amazon Price: $6.95 List Price: $6.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: National Geographic Children's Books Amazon Marketplace: 45 new & used starting at $0.98

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 35 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Growing up as a Maasai warrior 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

I really liked this book. It is one of several that I purchased after coming back from Tanzania, and I have recommended it to others. The author is straight-forward about his situation, so I wouldn't recommend it to children under, say, 12, but it is quite moving as an adult book, though he wrote it for young people.

From the African bush to Harvard. 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

Facing the Lion is the amazing TRUE story of a Maasai boy growing up in Kenya. I first heard about this National Geographic book from my son's 8th grade world history teacher - it was on a summer reading list. B-O-R-I-N-G - right? Well think again. You will not be able to put this book down! The boy grows up tending his family's herd of extremely valuable cows - and that means standing guard at night when lions literally leap from the bush to decimate the livestock. The lessons that the boy learns from incredible adventure, adversity, and challenge in his African upbringing only serve to give him the drive, determination, and power to succeed at HARVARD. My husband read the book on a plane and now uses a number of examples in his consulting practice. A FUN read and a WONDERFUL book for ANYBODY - teens to adult.

Editorial Review:

Joseph Lemasolai Lekuton gives American kids a firsthand look at growing up in Kenya as a member of a tribe of nomads whose livelihood centers on the raising and grazing of cattle. Readers share Lekuton's first encounter with a lion, the epitome of bravery in the warrior tradition. They follow his mischievous antics as a young Maasai cattle herder, coming-of-age initiation, boarding school escapades, soccer success, and journey to America for college. Lekuton's riveting text combines exotic details of nomadic life with the universal experience and emotions of a growing boy.

A Is for Africa

Ifeoma Onyefulu

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 4 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

A Fun Way to Learn the Alphabet! 5 out of 5 stars.
7 of 7 people found this review helpful.

This children's book offers an inviting glimpse into West African traditions. From "A is for Africa" to "I is for Indigo", the author Ifeoma Onyefulu uses important aspects of West African life to represent each letter of the alphabet. The book is appropriate for kids of all ages. My daughter is one year old, so I simplify the book by reading just the first sentence of each page, such as "V is for village". The text continues to describe that "V is for the village, where many people live together, sharing the same traditions and beliefs. The old people in the village teach the young ones the old customs, as they were once taught themselves." The photographs in this book are not only beautiful, but very representative of West Africa. Every child interested in Africa should have this book! I am looking forward to reading Ifeoma Onyefulu's other children's books.

Editorial Review:

Stunning color photographs depict everyday life in Nigeria in this unusual ABC book by a talented African photographer. "An incisive, sophisticated view of her homeland's rich heritage."--Publishers Weekly.

Mummies Made in Egypt

Aliki

List Price: $14.95 By: Ty Crowell Co Amazon Marketplace: 13 new & used starting at $1.91

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 7 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

The Wish to Live Forever 5 out of 5 stars.
22 of 22 people found this review helpful.

Kids love mummies, and mine are no exception. As Aliki (the book's author/illustrator) says, "A mummy is a mystery-hidden in layers of ancient bandage, bedecked with priceless jewels." We read Mummies Made in Egypt as part of our Egyptian study when our children were 7, 10 and 11. The back cover (accurately) says the book is written for ages 8 to 12. I have to admit I loved this book as much as my children and learned a lot from it. What's great, as another reviewer has pointed out, is that it's not morbid in any way. It presents the facts, clearly and simply, accompanied by equally simple and clear illustrations. Is there a better children's illustrator than Aliki?

Good Book - Bad Memories 4 out of 5 stars.
12 of 21 people found this review helpful.

I think the Aliki book explains the true reality of the ancient Egyptains beliefs. I am actually writing this because I was scared of the book. I wouldn't recommend showing this to a child without telling them what to expect. The book explains about the belief involving the many gods (Osiris, Anubis, and Isis are a few) I don't want any child to be scared of the culture, but who would know?

Editorial Review:

Describes the techniques and the reasons for the use of mummification in ancient Egypt.

Jambo Means Hello: Swahili Alphabet Book (Picture Puffin Books)

Muriel Feelings

Amazon Price: $6.99 List Price: $6.99 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Puffin Amazon Marketplace: 67 new & used starting at $1.33

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 8 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

An African ABC book 4 out of 5 stars.
4 of 4 people found this review helpful.

This Swahili alphabet books presents a Swahili word for each letter of the alphabet representing important aspects of East African life and culture, from the grand (e.g., "ibada means worship" or "uzuri means beauty") to the more commonplace (e.g., "embe is a mango" or "punda is a donkey"). The illustrations are in warm shades of black and gray and represent the diverse peoples and landscapes of the wide region of Africa where Swahili is spoken. The introduction describes where Swahili is spoken, including a map.

This book is clearly written for outsiders and, as such, may be best described as a kind of social conscience book. Too often people in the United States speak of Africa as if it is a monolithic culture and this book may help to counteract that narrow perspective by honoring a variety of aspects of African culture. I especially like the scenes and activities portrayed in this book, from rural to urban, traditional to contemporary. My favorite page is "uzuri means beauty," with its description and illustration of two women, one with a crown of braided hair and the other with a shaved head and multiple pierced ears and its explanation that "Beauty means different things in different parts of Africa." The nicely written introduction reinforces this concept.

Editorial Review:

"The beautiful vision of African life in the text merely hints of the community breathtakingly captured in the illustrations. . . . The space has been filled with monumental figures that glorify the power and beauty of man."--Horn Book. Full color. Caldecott Honor Medal; ALA Notable Book.