The Horn Book Guide

THE ARTS

Diakité, Baba Wagué

A Gift from Childhood: Memories of an African Boyhood

136 pp. | Groundwood | March, 2010 | Trade ISBN 978-0-88899-931-3 $18.95

(2) 4-6 Malian artist Diakité's ceramic tiles illustrate this autobiography. The medium admirably suits the subject: rural Mali comes to life in the tiles' earth tones, saturated colors, and bold drafting, supplemented with Diakité's handsome portraits and traditional designs. His story's significance shines through the simplicity of its telling: Malian village life is revealed in authentic detail, and the cultural attitudes are mind-opening.

Reviewer: Joanna Rudge Long | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2010