Is One Book Enough? Multiple Perspectives on Children’s Books

The African Studies Center K-16 Education Outreach Program’s Adding More Voices Project created this interactive resource for educators to support second grade students’ engagement with books about Africa. This project consists of an interactive map embedded with interviews with individuals from various countries across Africa who share their childhood experiences and perspectives on selected children’s literature.

How should you use this?

  1. Students can click on any story on the map to access a read-aloud.
  2. Students who choose the stories listed below also can access a mini-interview with someone from the country featured.
  3. Following the interview, there are reflection questions students can use to ask: “How is the book the same as the perspective of the person interviewed? How is it different?” Teachers can use these questions to facilitate a discussion on the book and the interview. The goal is for students to get gain multiple perspectives on a given country.

Click on the Enhancing Literature Through African Voices interactive map to view the larger version and enjoy the highlighted interviews related to following children’s books and countries:

Featured countries on the interactive map:

Ethiopia:

Featured Book:

  • Grandma’s Humongous Suitcase: A tale of Ethiopian history and culture in a child voice… by Elsi Abebe

Special feature: Read our interview with the author, Elsi Abebe, as she shares the backstory behind the book and more!

Ghana:

Featured Books:  

  • Gizo Gizo, A Tale from the Zongo Lagoon by Emily Williamson
  • Emmanuel’s Dream by Laurie Ann Thompson

Kenya

Featured Books:

  • Mama Panya’s Pancakes by Mary Chamberlin and Richard Chamberlin
  • Wangari’s Trees of Peace by Jeanette Winter
  • Seeds of Change by Jen Cullerton Johnson

Mali

Featured Book:

  • I Lost My Tooth in Africa by Penda Diakite

Morocco

Featured Book:

  • My Father’s Shop by  Satomi Ichikawa

Nigeria

Featured Book:

  • My Grandfather is a Magician by Ifeoma Onyefulu

South Africa

Featured Book:

  • The Day GoGo Went to Vote by Elinor Sisulu

 

If you are interested in contributing to this educational project, contact africa@bu.edu.