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Mensah, Bernard

Kente for Jojo

32 pp. | Knopf | June, 2025 | Trade ISBN 9780593567128 $18.99 | Library ISBN 9780593567135 $21.99 | Ebook ISBN 9780593567142 $8.99
(2) K-3 Illustrated by Elizabeth Zunon. In a familial tradition of selecting Kente for children, a young narrator and family travel to pick one for the protagonist's baby brother, Jojo. Along the way, Daddy entertains the family with the familiar story of how Kente began through the folklore of Ananse the spider. Mensah's poetic text imbues the older sibling's process of looking for Jojo's Kente with love for both Jojo and the tradition, as they first admire the Kente on the wall of a shop ("This is the home of Kente, where the first were made for kings") and then approach a weaver to create a new one: "something special. Something beautiful. Something...that sparkles and shines, just like Jojo." The narrator himself is inspired by the rainbow to try to weave Nyankonton, "the story of God's eyebrows." Holding up the finished work (including a mistake, which makes it "even more special"), the weaver says, "Nyankonton means he will be beautiful, unique, and have great luck." Mensah's vivid storytelling is as inviting as Zunon's colorful illustrations, which were made using acrylic and oil paint and cut-paper collage and intricately convey the rich texture of the cloth and the meticulous weaving process. Together, they have created a fascinating introduction to this reverent aspect of Ghanaian culture. Back matter provides additional information about Kente, including its history, colors, and patterns.
Reviewer: Pauletta Brown Bracy | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2025

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