GKH will specialize in children’s books (pre-K to seventh grade) that celebrate the history and diverse cultures of Africa and the African diaspora in fiction and nonfiction. Mapondera-Talley’s goal is to dispel common stereotypes about Africa and Africans.
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tacey Fru, a South African International Multiple Award-Winning Child Author named a 2020 Global Child Prodigy. She is a Philanthropist and Activist whom at the age of 12 was honoured by the Egyptian President as one of 5 Most Promising African Youths in 2019. The now 13-year-old Stacey wrote her first book “Smelly Cats” at age 7. Since Muna Kalati is promoting Children and Young Adult authors, it was an immense pleasure to gather her views in this regard. In this interview, she openly speaks about her first reading experiences, the authors that inspired her, her reading practices and vision for the development of children literature in Africa.
All children need exposure to diverse books, including the full spectrum of Black characters and their experiences. Explore these stories featuring strong Black characters that exude bravery, confidence, and curiosity.
The problems that readers encounter when visiting libraries are legion and diverse: the lack of updating of the collection, the absence of online information on the collections, the absence of books on African realities, the lack of professional librarians, the bad faith of some readers and the commodification of reading services.
Here’s a curated selection of 62 fiction and non-fiction titles to check out now.
Considered the first Queen Mother of Benin, Idia was the mother of Esigie, the Oba (king) of Benin between 1504 and 1550. A great warrior and wise queen, she is believed to have saved the entire kingdom of Benin in a time of war and turmoil. Thanks to Nigerian-Canadian author Ekiuwa Aire, children can now relive the highly revered Nigerian queen’s story from a real African perspective.
Vivian Yenika-Agbaw is a professor of literature and literacy in the College of Education’s Department of Curriculum and Instruction at Penn State, a mentor to many Penn State students, and an advocate for marginalized peoples.
She has spent her life studying and analyzing hierarchical systems of oppression and race relations. Through her writing and teaching, she encourages compassion, empathy, inclusivity and social change. My aim is to identify those who are marginalized and work to include their voices through literature,” she said. Our Executive Director, Christian Elongué has met with Professor Vivian Yenika-Agbaw at the IBBY Africa Regional Meeting in Accra. In this article, we are presenting her and her contribution in the promotion of more inclusivity and representation in Children literature in the US and in the African diaspora.
Through the IBBY Africa Regional Meeting, we had the pleasure to exchange with her about…
Frau Dr. Anna Stelthove-Fend who has tremendously contributed to facilitate access to quality children books…
Johanes Yerima was one of the most important artists of the Bamun kingdom, both under Sultan Njoya (1892-1933) and his son Seydou (1933-1992). The very first African “comic book” dates from 1932, produced by Yohanes Yerima, whom a critic considers to be the “true first Cameroonian and African comic book author in history” . To better understand its contribution, we place you in the historical context in which it has evolved.