Africa, Amazing Africa

October 1, 2021

Gr 2-5-A cheerful, browsable overview of Africa's 55 countries (including Western Sahara). The brief introduction highlights the continent's vast diversity of cultures, languages, climates, and geographies, as well as the major discoveries of its ancient civilizations. Divided into five sections by geographic region (north, east, west, central, and southern), each country gets an illustrated page with a paragraph-length description focused on key aspects of its history, economy, or cultural traditions. There are also two to three bite-size, bullet-point facts about topics ranging from wildlife to geography, mythology, or national pastimes. Information is too broad for research assignments but will delight curious browsers with its joyful, energetic illustrations and appealing assortment of trivia-for example, that there are more pyramids in Sudan than Egypt, the beaches of Namibia are home to more than a thousand shipwrecks, and Lake Tele in the Republic of the Congo is the rumored home of a mythical monster called the Mokele-Mbembe. Contrasts are a cross-cutting theme, from the intersection of traditional lifestyles with contemporary ones (e.g., Eritrean nomad communities using GPS and cellular apps to track rainfall patterns) to the wide class differences within many countries. The facts are complemented by vibrant, wonder-filled renderings. Back matter includes an index and recommended websites for further reading. VERDICT Atinuke's first foray into nonfiction admirably presents an accessible and engaging narrative with its nuanced treatment of a continent too often depicted in relation to its extremes.-Elizabeth Giles, Kansas City P.L., MO

Copyright 2021 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

July 1, 2021
Illustrated with vibrant mixed-media drawings of the people, products, and landmarks of Africa, this geographical overview by Atinuke, known for her Anna Hibiscus books set in "Amazing Africa" and others, treats readers to a smorgasbord of countries and customs, emphasizing: "African countries must be the most diverse on the planet!" Colorful hand-drawn maps peppered with spot art -- plus words of welcome in a variety of languages -- introduce each region of the continent, followed by a page for each country, including a paragraph about what the country is known for, one or two additional facts, and a dynamic illustration. Additional pages cover African religions, hair styles, and obsession with football (a.k.a. soccer). Perfect for browsing or for inspiring internet exploration, the book ends with an index and a list of related links.

(Copyright 2021 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

November 1, 2021
Grades 2-5 In her first nonfiction work, Nigerian storyteller Atinuke (Too Small Tola, 2020) presents the beautiful diversity and contrasts of a continent of more than a billion people. As her introduction explains, nobody can say how many African countries there are because some are unofficial, but 55 are joyfully introduced to readers here, with the individuality of each especially emphasized. Tired images of acacia trees in the sunset are eschewed here, with the author explaining that the countries of Africa offer so much more than readers may imagine: scorching heat as well as snow, cities with skyscrapers in addition to rural places, and all sorts of other opposites-- "donkeys and diamonds, camels and Coca-Cola, lions and Lamborghinis." Maps and colorful, stylized artwork--both large images and attractive page borders--accompany brief narratives about each country. Bulleted tidbits closing the entries cover such topics as dinosaur footprints in Lesotho and Liberia's finger-snap handshake. Numerous words in various African languages are introduced, too. A great companion to social studies classrooms and an attractive and informative browse.

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Starred review from October 15, 2021
Established storyteller Atinuke, of Anna Hibiscus fame, introduces every country on the African continent. Africa is enormous. Africa is diverse. The people, the geography, the languages, the religions, the living conditions, the animals, the political systems--discovering all the differences and interesting facts becomes an adventure in this fascinating collection. The book's introduction offers samples of the amazing historical and contemporary distinctions unique to the continent. Each region is introduced in a double-page spread with an illustrated map featuring animals and buildings, flora and minerals, text with welcome written in a plethora of regional languages, a list of the countries in the region, and a survey of some special features of the region. Within the sections, each country is represented on one page, with a paragraph of descriptive text, a colorful half-page illustration, and one to three interesting facts. The text is lively and engaging, concisely conveying the astounding richness of history and culture that make the continent of Africa so exciting to explore. Small wonder that Atinuke can make a nonfiction book every bit as fun to follow as a storybook. Readers will leave this volume full of new, amazing views and eager to discover more about the familiar and unfamiliar territories covered here. (This book was reviewed digitally.) This loving tribute is absolutely dazzling. (index, resources) (Nonfiction. 4-10)

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