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Summary
Summary
Aphorisms are universal. They give guidance, context and instruction for life's issues, and they help us understand each other and the world around us. We use them every day, yet never think about where they came from or why they exist. In this beautifully illustrated collection, Eric Walters brings us classic sayings from the places where this shared wisdom began. Ashanti, Sukuma, Akan and Kikuyu: all of these cultures use the portable and easily shared knowledge contained in aphorisms, and from these cultures and more this communal knowledge spread.
Author Notes
Eric Walters 's young adult novels have won numerous awards, including the Silver Birch, Blue Heron, Red Maple, Snow Willow, and Ruth Schwartz Awards, and have received honors from UNESCO's international award for Literature in the Service of Tolerance. He lives in Mississauga, Ontario.
Reviews (5)
School Library Journal Review
K-Gr 4-Walters has compiled a beautifully illustrated collection of 15 wise sayings from the cultures of a number of African countries including Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, Tanzania, and more. The guidance and instruction embedded in these nuggets explore the cultural universals that are part of human life (and frailty) around the world. Famous gems such as "It takes a village to raise a child" (Nigeria) and "Many hands make light work" (Tanzania) highlight the commonality of humanity. Clever phrases such as "I pointed out to you the stars, but all you saw was the tip of my finger." (Tanzania) and "Rain does not fall on one roof alone." (Cameroon) share the communal knowledge that teaches and can be embraced by all. Walters notes in his introduction, "Africa is where we all started our journey on this planet." This book celebrates the human condition and explores the community that is part of our common history. These wonderful sayings are all the more engaging because they are accompanied by strikingly colorful full-page illustrations. Different artists from countries such as Ghana, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Canada, the United States, and Cuba have interpreted each saying. The words appear in large, bold type and include explanation and information about their origin. Some of the illustrations are traditional such as, "No one tests the depth of the water with both feet," which depicts a woman in a head scarf carefully dipping her toe into a river. Others are quite stylized, "Travel is learning," shows a cartoonlike image of a black woman in a spacesuit standing on the moon. VERDICT A lovely book that can be used as a introduction to cultural proverbs and will surely spark lively classroom discussions about the interpretation of meanings. A perfect celebration of art and community.-Carole Phillips, Greenacres Elementary School, Scarsdale, NY © Copyright 2018. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Publisher's Weekly Review
More than a dozen artists offer strikingly varied interpretations of 15 aphorisms sourced from across the African continent. "Africa is where we all started our journey on this planet," writes Walters in an introduction. "It's from this home that we began and then fanned out across the world." Each saying appears in large bold type, labeled with its region or people of origin and a brief explanation. Many images hew to the language of the phrases-South African artist Toby Newsome pictures a woman in a headscarf carefully dipping her toe into a river ("No one tests the depth of the water with both feet")-while others take bigger stylistic leaps. Working in a brash comic-book style, Sindiso "R!OT" Nyoni, based in Johannesburg, shows a black female astronaut beaming at readers from outer space ("Traveling is learning"). It's easy to imagine this book being used in classrooms, with students suggesting their own interpretations of these aphorisms and inventing their own. A portion of Walters's royalties will be donated to Creation of Hope, a Kenyan organization he cofounded that offers a variety of aid to orphans in that country. Ages 6-9. (Jan.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
Horn Book Review
Fifteen wisdom sayings from around the African continent are paired with brilliant illustrations from global artists in this informative book. Each aphorism is labeled by country and includes an explanation of its meaning. The book's art is noteworthy for how the many illustrators (identified in the appendix) interpret the sayings in their own unique styles. A great way to explore wisdom traditions and figurative language. (c) Copyright 2019. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Kirkus Review
A book of African proverbs illustrated by a variety of artists.The 15 proverbs highlighted in this book come from different African peoples and regions, and each features a captivating full-page illustration. The aphorisms range from the well-known"It takes a village to raise a child"to those that may be new to most readers. Walters offers origin information for each proverb, as well as its meaning, making the book accessible to a variety of ages. The saying "When in the middle of a river, do not insult the crocodile," from the Baoul people of Cte d'Ivoire, is glossed as, "You probably don't have to battle crocodiles, but you can apply this to any situation: always think before you act." The fact that the texts are linked only by continent of origin allows for an array of creative pictorial interpretations of the adages, with styles that run the gamut. Ghanaian artist Eva Campbell provides a bright oil painting of a happy village scene; Cuban-American illustrator Tom Gonzalez offers a striking image of a fire at nighttime; South African artist Sindiso "R!OT" Nyoni contributes a cartoonlike image of a black woman in a spacesuit standing on the moon, with the Earth over her shoulder. This beautifully illustrated book of wisdom serves as a good introduction to maxims and also acts against the many prevalent negative stereotypes of African cultures and peoplelovely and illuminating. (introduction, foreword, artist bios) (Picture book. 5-10) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Booklist Review
In this attractive picture book for middle readers, Walters unites 15 aphorisms from a range of African cultures. These pithy sayings contain universal truths, some of which are familiar (It takes a village to raise a child), and others refreshingly novel (No one tests the depth of the water with both feet). Writing and fine arts teachers will recognize the mentor-text potential of this well-designed book. Within its neat, square shape is a two-page spread for each aphorism. On one side, the text is set atop a solid colored background, with the origin and a brief explanation of the saying appearing along the bottom. On the adjacent page, arresting artwork offers readers literal or figurative interpretations by artists from all over the world, in a range of styles and media. The end pages showcase thumbnails of the illustrations with brief bios of the artists, which are worth lingering over. This unique collection works both as a gift book and a handy model for classroom projects.--Chaudhri, Amina Copyright 2017 Booklist
