WELCOME TO AUSTRALIAN USED HOMESCHOOL BOOKS!
CULTURAL FICTION - AFRICA
Hamid And The Sultan’s Son (Anne Rose) $4 HBDJ GC Set against the colour and confusion of a Moroccan marketplace, this is the story of a very special friendship which develops when the son of a poor date grower and the son of a Sultan meet. Great illustrations capture the intensity of the desert heat and the chaos and excitement of Amaziz, a fabled North African town. 5-9 YO
The Day Of Ahmed’s Secret (Florence Parry Heide) $6 HB VGC Ahmed has monumental news to share with his family, but first he must complete the age-old duties of a butagaz boy, delivering cooking gas to customers all over Cairo. The juxtaposition of old and new is a repeated theme in this thoughtful story of a young boy living in the bustling metropolis surrounded by thousand-year-old walls and buildings. His philosophical musings as he steers his donkey cart on his appointed rounds could be those of any youngster, living in any age, waiting for the appropriate moment to share his special secret. Enhanced by Lewin's distinguished photorealistic watercolours, the sights, sounds, and smells of the exotic setting come to life. Sweeping double-page spreads reveal the sun-bleached streets, pedestrians bearing all manner of bundles, and colourful market stalls. At home at last, surrounded by his loving family, Ahmed demonstrates his newly acquired facility, proudly writing his name in Arabic. Life goes on in the hectic, noisy cities of the world regardless of a day's news and yet, the boundless energy and promise of youth reinforce the ideal that anything is possible. Ahmed's story is a joyful celebration of that spirit. 5-9 YO http://www.amazon.com/Day-Ahmeds-Secret-Florence-Parry/dp/0688140238
The Magic Gourd (Baba Wague Diakite) $6 HBDJ VGC (Ex lib) With characteristic energy and spirit, Diakite retells a tale from his native Mali and illustrates it with painted, boldly patterned art created from ceramics. Searching for food for his famine-stricken family, Brother Rabbit pauses to free a chameleon from a thorn bush, and, in return, receives a magic bowl that fills with anything upon request. After a greedy king seizes the bowl, Chameleon gives Rabbit another gift--a rock that wreaks havoc on anyone who does not speak to it with respect. Rabbit uses the rock to regain his prize--and by choosing to leave the royal treasure behind, is able to reform the king. Bordering each ceramic design is a different "mud cloth" textile pattern, the meaning of which the artist explains in a lengthy postscript. Diakite closes with a discussion of the story's themes, an introduction to praise songs, and a glossary of the Bambara exclamations and expressions that punctuate the story. The story actually focuses more on kindness than on trickery. 5-10 YO http://www.amazon.com/Magic-Gourd-Aesop-Prize-Awards/dp/0439439604
Elephant (Judy Allen Walker Books) $5 PB VGC Hannah discovers the secret of her great-grandmother's ivory necklace during a dream in which she sees a mother elephant shot for her ivory tusks. She awakens determined to set things right, and on a visit to a wild game preserve, she sees her chance. When the car she's in stalls between a mother elephant and her calf, Hannah tosses the necklace to the calf, a lifesaving distraction: "I gave it back. It was my great-grandmother's necklace, but it was made from her great-grandmother's tusks." The African setting and characters are beautifully and solidly evoked in Humphries' watercolours, and the realistic depiction of the wildlife adds much to the appeal of the story. 5-10 YO http://www.amazon.ca/Elephant-Judy-Allen/dp/0744532957
The Spirit Of The Maasai Man (Laura Berkeley) $6 HBDJ EC (Ex lib) Locked in their cages, the zoo animals hear the song of the Maasai Man--an African herdsman in native dress--and their spirits roam free with him as they remember their wild natural homes. For most of the animals, home is the African savannah, but somehow the Maasai Man also calls to the tiger about India and to the polar bear about the Arctic. Vivid paintings contrast captivity and freedom in each double-page spread. On the left there's a close up of a suffering animal in a cage--a lion, an elephant, a gorilla, a python, imprisoned in too small a space; opposite is a view of the animal roaming free in its natural habitat. Using a simple storyline of a Maasai tribesman conversing with various captive animals, the author’s aim is to show children that confining animals in zoos does harm to all species. 5-10 YO http://lauraberkeley.co.uk/book.html
African Art & Literature Series “Nyumba Ya Mumbi: The Gikuyu Creation Myth” (Kariuki Gakuo) $4 PB VGC The story tells how Gikuyu takes to wife Mumbi, who gives birth to nine daughters who beg their parents for husbands. Gikuyu follows his creator's instructions for a ritual that produces nine young men; thus the clans of the Agukuyu were formed.' The story, seamlessly incorporating many details of traditional life, is handsomely illustrated with sweeping, splendidly evocative paintings of the primeval mountains and plains in which the impressionistically sketched figures move with natural grace. Intended for young Kenyans, the books may seem strangely exotic to western readers, but they are authentic, beautifully designed, and well worth introducing. 5-9 YO
Merry-Making (Charity Waciuma) $3 PB VGC A collection of five traditional stories from Nairobi, written for children. Lovely, authentic illustrations, published by East Africa Publishing House and intended for African children. 5-9 YO
The Adventures Of Spider (Joyce Cooper Arkhurst) $3 PB EC Spider is a favourite person in the stories of West Africa. He is clever and mischievous, but when he is good, he is full of fun. West African boys and girls – and grown-ups too – love to hear stories 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. A great intro into the African culture. Picture book. 6-10 http://www.amazon.com/Adventures-Spider-Joyce-Cooper-Arkhurst/dp/0590034340
The Nuns Go To Africa (Jonathan Routh) $5 HBDJ GC (Dust jacket a little tattered at edges) The seven cheerful nuns are always busy helping people, but once each year they set off for an exotic land where they encounter unpredictable adventures of their own. This time their mad holiday jaunt is in Africa where they discover sand stormy deserts, waterfalls in jungles, elephant country in the plains and a chase after two thieving gorillas! Lovely artwork showing highlights of African landscape and culture. 5-9 YO.
Not So Fast Songololo (Niki Daly) $4 PB EC Gogo is old, but her face shines like new shoes. She must go shopping in the city and Shepherd, her grandson, offers to go with her. As grandmother and grandson weave their way amidst the hustle and busy colours of the African city, Shepherd is given a treat that will put new spring in his step. Gorgeous picture book. WINNER OF THE US PARENT’S CHOICE AWARD 4-9 http://www.alibris.com/search/books/qwork/4733213/used/Not%20So%20Fast,%20Songololo
Masai And I (Virginia Kroll) $4 PB EC (Name stamp on inturns) When a little girl learns in school about a tall, proud African people called the Masai, she discovers a sense of kinship and imagines herself living in Africa. She would live in a circle of huts in a tiny village. Instead of having a hamster as a pet, she would live among the giraffes and zebras on the African plain. Using energetic language, "Masai and I" is a joyous celebration of two unique cultures. Beautiful oil and coloured-pencil illustrations in this picture book remind us that while the Masai live differently to the western world, children are children no matter where they grow up. 6-10 YO http://www.amazon.com/Masai-I-Virginia-Kroll/dp/0689804547
Lesson ideas: http://teacherlink.ed.usu.edu/TLRESOURCES/units/byrnes-africa/amymcm/index.html.htm
Give Me My Yam! (Jan Blake) $3 PB EC A lovely picture book showing food and village life in Africa when Jordan finds a yam to have for dinner. Laugh along as he loses it, but is given something instead each time. Will he ever get to eat his yam?! 4-8 http://www.amazon.co.uk/Give-Me-Yam-Reading-Together/dp/0744548853
Aio The Rain-Maker (Fiona French) $2 HB FC (Ex lib well read but sound) Colourful picture book about the African rain dance bringing an end to drought. Shows traditional dress, village life and customs. Very colourful artwork. 4-8
Akimba And The Magic Cow (Anne Rose) $3 PB FC (Sound) The retelling of an African folktale about the poorest man in the village and the cow he finds who coughs up gold coins. Illustrated with woodcuts, a great introduction to African culture and village life. Picture book. 4-8 http://www.farmsteadbooks.com/si/0810207.html
Great Comfort (Geraldine Kaye) $4 PB VGC Since her mother’s death Comfort has been leading a double life. She lives with her English grandparents during school-time and then spends summer in Ghana with her father. 11+ http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Great-Comfort/Geraldine-Kaye/e/9780233983004/?itm=8 (Cover different)
Jungle Doctor Titles (Paul White)
In each book Paul White draws on the characteristics of the animals he saw whilst serving as a medical missionary for many years in Tanganyika (now called Tanzania). Known as the Jungle Doctor, Dr. White used fables to teach spiritual truths, applying a Biblical story or character building trait to each. Our boys love them! Each book is a collection of about 10-12 stories. All $3, PB and in VGC or better, unless stated.
Rhino Rumblings
Hippo Happenings (Also a $2 copy – a little older)
Meets Mongoose
Jungle Doctor’s Fables (Also a $2 copy – a little older)
Monkey Tales (Also a $2 copy – a little older)
Tug-O-War (Also a $2 copy – a little older)
And The Whirlwind
Goes West (Also a $2 copy – a little older)