— Children's Books

Children's Books

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- By The African Fire: A Collection of Short Stories (by Julius Sseremba)
  
  $18.50
  
  "By the African Fire" is a collection of six short stories for children. The bonfire was always a special place in any homestead. When special feasts had to be marked, the family shared a meal together around this fire; celebrations meant dancing and singing around the bonfire; when death struck, the mourners gathered there to comfort each other; and when it was time to tell a story, or to teach traditions, the younger ones sat down, by the fire, at the feet of the elders. These fiction stories relay the fireside experience that has brought much joy and learning to generations of African children. The richness of the experience with its strong appeal to the imagination is a pleasure to partake again and again. Herein, the reader is invited to share a timeless treasure. Julius Sseremba has been writing since 2002. He is a fellow of the Crossing Borders writing development program. He has written for The Monitor and The New Vision (the two leading dailies in Uganda) and a number of publications inside, and outside, Uganda. He was also part of a core group of Ugandan writers that pioneered Radiophonics, a ground-breaking series of social, radio dramas sponsored by the British Council and broadcast over Radio Sanyu in Kampala. He is presently a writing consultant with Deft Communications, a communications consultancy he started, in Kampala, where he lives. His major interests are fiction (prose/poetry), biographies/journaling and technical writing (science and business). He holds an undergraduate degree in Chemistry from Makerere University. by the african fire is his first published work of fiction.
- Akimbo and the Baboons (by Alexander McCall Smith)
  
  $9.99
  
  Akimbo is excited to have his cousin, Kosi, visit him on the game reserve where he lives, . and when a visiting scientist invites the boys to join her when she studies a pack of baboons, they can't wait to assist her in the bush. The baboons they find are fun to observe, but when a black leopard threatens the pack--and the scientist--Akimbo and Kosi are reminded that danger is ever present in the African bush. Alexander McCall Smith takes young readers on a safari to his beloved Africa in this perfect first chapter book, beautifully brought to life with illustrations by LeUyen Pham. (recommended for ages 7 to 9)
- The Wrestling Match (by Buchi Emecheta)
  
  $9.95
  
  Children in a Nigerian village grow up during the Nigerian Civil War. (suitable for ages 13-17)
- Akimbo and the Crocodile Man (by Alexander McCall Smith)
  
  $9.95
  
  When a visiting croc expert invites Akimbo along on a field study, Akimbo is thrilled. But when the crocodiles attack the guide, injuring him gravely, it will be up to Akimbo to cross a crocodile-infested river and jump start a truck to bring back help. A rousing new Akimbo adventure from bestselling author Alexander McCall Smith. (recommended for Ages 7 to 9).
- Chike and the River (by Chinua Achebe)
  
  $10.00
  
  The more Chike saw the ferry-boats the more he wanted to make the trip to Asaba. But where would he get the money? He did not know. Still, he hoped. Eleven-year-old Chike longs to cross the Niger River to the city of Asaba, but he doesn’t have the sixpence he needs to pay for the ferry ride. With the help of his friend S.M.O.G., he embarks on a series of adventures to help him get there. Along the way, he is exposed to a range of new experiences that are both thrilling and terrifying, from eating his first skewer of suya under the shade of a mango tree, to visiting the village magician who promises to double the money in his pocket. Once he finally makes it across the river, Chike realizes that life on the other side is far different from his expectations, and he must find the courage within him to make it home. Chike and the River is a magical tale of boundaries, bravery, and growth, by Chinua Achebe, one of the world’s most beloved and admired storytellers.
- Sosu's Call (by Meshack Asare)
  
  $15.95
  
  Winner of the 1999 UNESCO prize and IBBY's Outstanding Books for Young People with Disabilities award, Sosu's Call by Ghanaian author/illustrator Meshack Asare is a story of heroism and resolve. Sosu is all alone in his family's compound when disaster strikes. The waters are rising, and most of the people of the village are in the fields. The only ones left are the very old and the very young. And Sosu, who cannot walk. Somehow he manages to make his way through the rising waters up the hill to the drum shed, where he sounds the alarm and saves the village. A book about differences, about acceptance, about what it means to be "normal." A book about the people and the lives that take place on the other side of the world, and in our own backyard. (Ages 4 and up)
- The Great Cake Mystery: Precious Ramotswe's Very First Case: A Number 1 Ladies' Detective Agency Book for Young Readers
  
  $6.99
  
  Have you ever said to yourself, "Wouldn't it be nice to be a detective?" This is the story of an African girl who says just that. Her name is Precious. When a piece of cake goes missing from her classroom, a traditionally built young boy is tagged as the culprit. Precious, however, is not convinced. She sets out to find the real thief. Along the way she learns that your first guess isn't always right. She also learns how to be a detective. (recommended for ages 7to 9)
- Akimbo and the Snakes
  
  $5.99
  
  Akimbo can't believe his luck when his father allows him to visit his uncle Peter's snake park. And when a local village calls to report a sighting of a green mamba snake--the rarest and most deadly one of all--Akimbo hopes to help his uncle catch it for the park. But little does he expect to find himself trapped face to face with the deadliest of reptiles. Bestselling novelist Alexander McCall Smith brings the majesty and dangers of Africa to life in this vividly imagined adventure for young readers. (recommended for ages 7-9)
- Yoruba Folktales (by Amos Tutuola)
  
  $22.95
  
  The author ranks as one of the foremost living traditional African storytellers - as recognised by the acclaim of his first book, The Palmvine Drinkard. This book includes seven folktales especially for young adults, but of universal appeal. Beautiful black and white ink drawings illustrate the tales whose cast of characters include humans, a goddess, an elephant woman, a boa constrictor and a shell-man.
- Favorite African Folktales (by Nelson Mandela)
  
  $13.95
  
  Nelson Mandela, former President of South Africa and a Nobel Laureate for Peace, has selected these thirty-two tales with the specific hope that Africa's oldest stories, as well as a few new ones, be perpetuated by future generations and be appreciated by children throughout the world. In these "beloved stories, morsels rich with the gritty essence of Africa," we meet, among many others, a Kenyan lion named Simba, a snake with seven heads and a trickster from Zulu folklore; we hear the voices of the scheming hyena and learn from a Khoi fable how animals acquired their tails and horns. Several creation myths tell us how the land, its animals, and its people all came into existence under a punishing sun or against the backdrop of a spectacularly beautiful mountain landscape. Whether warning children about the dangers of disobedience or demonstrating that the underdog can--and often does--win, these stories, through their depiction of wise animals as well as evil monsters, are "universal in their portrayal of humanity, beasts, and the mystical."What is particularly exciting about this book is that many of the stories, in their oral form, are almost as old as Africa itself. Most of them were, in fact, first told in various African tongues around evening fires in centuries past--tales from, for example, the San and the Khoi, the original hunter-gatherers and livestock herders of Southern Africa. Translated into English and other European languages chiefly in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries from their original languages--be they Karanga, Nguni, Xhosa, or one of many others--these folktales are a testament to the craft of storytelling and the power of myth. Accompanied by dozens of enchanting, specially commissioned color paintings, Favorite African Folktales--culled from African countries as far-flung as Morocco, Nigeria, Uganda, and Kenya--presents a fountain of precious knowledge that will be treasured by children, as well as adults, for years to come.
- Akimbo and the Lions (by Alexander McCall Smith)
  
  $9.95
  
  Ten-year-old Akimbo lives on a game preserve in Africa. His father is the head ranger, and Akimbo is eager to help him whenever he can--even if it means getting into some pretty dangerous situations. In "Akimbo and the Lions," Akimbo helps his father set a trap for a lioness that has been attacking cattle on nearby farms. But when the lion they catch turns out to be a cub, Akimbo must find a way to care for the young lion until it's old enough to be released in the wild.