From the Heart of Africa: A book of Wisdom

by Eric Walters (Compiler)

Overview

A collection of African wisdom gorgeously illustrated by artists from Ghana, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Canada, the United States and more.

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.

This book is a celebration of art, of community and of our common history.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781770497207
Publisher:	Tundra
Publication date:	01/02/2018
Sold by:	Random House
Format:	eBook
Pages:	32
File size:	16 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.
Age Range:	6 - 9 Years

About the Author

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.

Editorial Reviews

One of Canadian Children's Book Centre’s Favourite Books of the Year 2018

PRAISE FOR From the Heart of Africa:

"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 people—lovely and illuminating." —STARRED REVIEW, Kirkus Reviews

"In this attractive picture book for older readers, Walters unites 15 aphorisms from a range of African cultures… This unique collection works both as a gift book and a handy model for classroom projects." —Booklist

"4/4… While Walters has offered his interpretation of the aphorisms’ meanings, readers will undoubtedly want to proffer their own… its contents obviously speak to a much wider audience, including adults. Highly Recommended.” —CM Magazine

"Colourful and bold typography with extremely minimal text—some of the aphorisms are only three words long—will instantly appeal to young and reluctant readers." —Quill & Quire

From the Publisher

★ 2017-10-16
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 Baoulé people of Côte 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 people—lovely and illuminating. (introduction, foreword, artist bios) (Picture book. 5-10)

Kirkus Reviews