(3) K-3 Illustrated by Ken Daley. A girl explores her Haitian heritage when she visits Auntie Luce, a painter. The aunt describes Haiti's history and their shared family stories. As she paints a portrait of the child, Auntie Luce helps the girl to better understand herself as a daughter of two cultures. Daley's acrylic paintings are lush and vibrant. An appended note provides more about the author's inspiration and Haitian history. Glos.

Reviewer: Melinda Greenblatt

(3) 4-6 Illustrated by Andrea Pippins. In this "love letter...to the next generation of black changemakers" (per the book's welcome note), stylish digitally colored ink portraits illustrate fifty-two brief bios of black subjects; the person's iconic (unsourced) quotations appear in bold. The selections vary widely in era, nationality, background, and occupation, but the connecting factors are talent and willingness to work hard as a child. A "Hall of Fame" with photos is appended. Glos.

Reviewer: Christina Dorr

(2) PS In this light tale set in the unspecified "African veld," Lala is supposed to go to bed but is having none of it. "I just want to say good night to the goat..." and so on. That's the extent of this book's preschooler-perfect conflict, and the text could not be simpler, giving to Isadora's oil-paint and ink illustrations all the drama of sunset on the African plains.

Reviewer: Roger Sutton | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2017

(3) K-3 CitizenKid series. Illustrated by Shane W. Evans. Young Deo flees his village in Burundi and ends up at a refugee camp, malnourished, without his family, and up against bullies and gangs. Through the power of play and banana-leaf soccer balls, Deo finds friendship and a sense of community. Striking mixed-media illustrations enhance this powerful story (inspired by real events) of survival and resurgence. An author's note is included. Websites.

Reviewer: Alia Jones

(4) YA Charlotte Adom starts college in Kumasi, Ghana, and becomes involved in political events, fighting against J. J. Rawlings when he takes power for the second time in 1981. The pull between Charlotte's everyday life with two competing love interests and her political activism is awkwardly depicted. Still, this rare YA novel on modern life in Africa fills a gap. Author's note included. Glos.

Reviewer: Melinda Greenblatt

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Tamar Blumenfeld. With Asher Naim. Ethiopian boy Yosef dreams that a giant eagle will fly his Jewish family to a new home; they're soon brought to Israel by airplane, his eagle come to life. This is an engaging fictionalized recollection of Operation Solomon, which in 1991 brought fourteen thousand Ethiopian Jews to Israel in two days, with (coauthor) Ambassador Naim's assistance. Blumenfeld's stylized paintings add specificity.

Reviewer: Melinda Greenblatt

(3) 4-6 J. J. Keki, a Jewish musician and farmer from a small village in Uganda with Jewish, Christian, and Muslim residents, was about to visit the World Trade Center on 9/11. The day's horrific events inspired Keki to return to Uganda to start a coffee cooperative that would include the whole community. An engaging photo-essay about an unusual agricultural experiment. Bib., glos.

Reviewer: Melinda Greenblatt

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Peter H. Reynolds. A dreamy, imaginative girl in Burkina Faso (the birthplace of fashion model and clean-water advocate Badiel) must journey far with her mother to get water every day. North American children may be surprised by this great need, and Verde's lyrical text may inspire young activists to help. Reynolds's art in dry tans capture Gie Gie's energy as she finds joy in her difficult life. Author's note appended.

Reviewer: Melinda Greenblatt

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Pat Cummings. Giving Cummings's lushly detailed paintings center stage, Lee simplifies the tale and puts it into Beauty's first-person voice. While the retelling retains the story's original details, the pictures portray all of the characters as black, in settings inspired by West Africa. The retelling is crisp, the drafting is skillful, and the compositions are dramatic. Princess-lovers of any color should enjoy it.

Reviewer: Roger Sutton | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2014

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Jesse Joshua Watson. This picture book for older children packs a lot of sports and political history into forty pages. Set in 1990s South Africa, the story centers on two boys--one black, one white--who finally can play soccer together after the South African multiracial team wins the Africa Cup. The strong mixed-media illustrations reflect the text's emotion and energy. A historical note is appended. Timeline. Bib.

Reviewer: Melinda Greenblatt

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Hazel Mitchell. Little Imani is teased by the children in their Maasai village because she's small. Mama's bedtime stories help Imani dream so big that she tries--unsuccessfully--to "touch the moon." After watching warriors perform an adumnu (jumping dance), Imani knows how to realize her dream. This gentle girl-power fable veers a bit too far into fantasy but is grounded by the fetching illustrations' cultural details.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn

(1) 4-6 In this companion to Elijah of Buxton, set in 1901, thirteen-year-old African Canadian boy Benji Alston befriends Irish Canadian boy Alvin "Red" Stockard. The two encounter the (supposedly mythical) Madman of Piney Woods, who brings the past into present for both boys. Woven throughout this profoundly moving yet also at times very funny novel are themes of family, friendship, community, compassion, and the power of words.

Reviewer: Monica Edinger | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2014

(4) 4-6 Gateway Biographies series. Two well-known international human rights activists are profiled in these slim biographies. Mandela's political life is chronicled closely and chronologically, with too many dates and events encumbering the relatively brief text; Yousafzai's biography is clearer but covers the same ground as her recent memoir. These easy-to-navigate resources are most suitable for younger report writers seeking basic biographical information. Reading list, timeline, websites. Bib., ind. Review includes these Gateway Biographies titles: Malala Yousafzai and Nelson Mandela

Reviewer: Jessica Tackett MacDonald

(3) K-3 National Geographic Readers series. Short chapters with challenging but controlled vocabulary (Obama's text is simpler than Mandela's) track Obama's and Mandela's paths to becoming the first black presidents of their respective countries; pre-presidential civil rights work is emphasized more than presidential policy. "Words to Know" boxes and in-text transliteration support independent reading. Bright photographs, fact boxes, and pullout quotes increase accessibility. Mandela has an index. Timeline. Glos. Review covers these National Geographic Readers titles:Barack Obama and Nelson Mandela.

Reviewer: Rebecca Fox

(3) 4-6 This tale about family secrets and well-intentioned lies is inspired by the real-life experiences of the first black British Army officer, who was prejudicially denied a medal for his actions during WWI. Though the focus of the book is on family relationships and the stories people invent to protect their loved ones, Morpurgo also offers an understated, unexpectedly gentle meditation on prejudice.

Reviewer: Miriam Lang Budin

(2) YA Illustrated by Shane W. Evans. The first part of this vivid verse novel, set from September 2003 to March 2004, celebrates twelve-year-old Amira's life on her family farm in Darfur, Sudan. After a violent attack by the Sudanese militia, Amira and her family become refugees. Pinkney uses onomatopoeia, rhythm, and prismatic imagery to describe Amira's feelings. Evans's spare illustrations provide valuable visual context and a much-needed sense of buoyancy. Glos.

Reviewer: Anita L. Burkam | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2014

(4) K-3 Illustrated by AG Ford. Robinson draws on her own experiences in this story about a family reunion in Tanzania to celebrate a special birthday. The extended, bi-continental family reflects on its ancestors' capture and forced emigration from Africa to enslavement in the U.S. Ford's paintings convey the loving family's bond. An author's note, map, glossary of Swahili words, and family photos enhance the lengthy, purposeful text.

Reviewer: Lauren Causey

(2) YA Formerly middle-class but made destitute by Zimbabwe's runaway inflation, Patson and his father are forced to become diamond miners. With so much money at stake, the diamond fields are a brutal place--even more so when President Mugabe's army takes over diamond production. Structured around the 2008 Marange diamond field massacre, this is a tale of grim inhumanity told through an optimistic protagonist.

Reviewer: Anita L. Burkam | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2015

(2) K-3 In this sprightly rhymed retelling, a little boy who "knew no fear" scoffs at his grandma's warnings about a two-headed giant. But then he's captured by an even fiercer three-headed giant. The boy uses his wits--and musical ability--to escape with a new understanding of the difference between bravery and daring. Rainbow-colored tempera and watercolor illustrations effectively portray a truly scary giant.

Reviewer: Kathleen T. Horning | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2013

(3) K-3 Moving swiftly through crucial moments in Mandela's life, from childhood tragedy to his outcry against apartheid to his nearly thirty-year imprisonment, release, and eventual presidency, this pictorial biography aptly honors the South African revolutionary. Nelson's signature large-scale portraits capture both the strength and emotions of his subject--particularly the text-less cover featuring Mandela's visage with a dignified expression. Bib.

Reviewer: Shara Hardeson