The Children’s Africana Book Awards are presented annually to the authors and illustrators of the best children’s and young adult books on Africa published or republished in the U.S. The following selections include the award winning titles from 2015-2024.
Follows how a Gabi is made in Ethiopia from seed to harvest, to weaving to shop, to gift for Girma.
A young girl participates in a West African masquerade with a special plan to honor her grandfather, who has passed away.
A Catholic girl growing up in the bustling city of Lagos, Nigeria takes a trip to spend a week with her Muslim extended family in the countryside town of Ijebu to celebrate Eid al-Adha. Her days in Ijebu are filled with celebrations, traditions and special time connecting with family. Breathtaking illustration and poetic writing draws the reader into the sensory experience of celebrating Eid in Nigeria, while detailed endmatter includes information about Nigeria and Eid al-Adha, recipe for Nigerian puff puff and more.
Twelve-year-old Kwame is hurled into the Ghanaian underworld where he helps his late grandmother save humanity.
Zamzam divides his time between his grandparents' homes in New York City (United States) and Alexandria, Egypt. While the two places are different in terms of sights, sounds, and flavors, they share much in common. But the most important thing they share is family love.
In this love letter to Cairo, Egypt, a young child is sung a lullaby by her great-aunt who paints a vivid portrait of the ancient city as the child drifts off to sleep.
The life story of Ghanaian sculptor El Anatsui, a highly acclaimed African artist, whose tapestries made from repurposed bottle tops have been exhibited throughout the world.
A Maasai herder's duty is to protect his livestock. This is the true story of how one boy did his duty, solving a problem that had defeated wildlife experts for decades.
On a humid March night in 1957, Kwame Nkrumah made history. While thousands of people, including dignitaries from around the world cheered, he announced his country's independence. After many decades of British rule, Ghana, formerly the Gold Coast, became the first sub-Saharan African nation to break free from colonial rule.
Young Aria returns to school after recovering from an accident and being fitted with a prosthetic leg, but the school has no furniture and sitting on the floor is too painful. She finds a way to build her own bench, surprising and inspiring her classmates. A sensitive author's note addresses the author's experience growing up in Afghanistan during the civil war and the legacy of landmines.
Join Idia of the Benin Kingdom as she molds herself from the young and curious daughter of a village warrior to becoming the Queen of the ancient African Kingdom of Benin. Discover the journey of a young heroine who saw her future in a dream and works her way to becoming one of the most well-loved, praised, and successful queeins in African history.
Zura is worried about how her classmates will react to her Ghanaian Nana's tattoos on Grandparents Day, but Nana finds a way to show how special and meaningful they are.
On June 16, 1976, Hector Pieterson, an ordinary boy, lost his life after getting caught up in what was supposed to be a peaceful protest. Black South African students were marching against a new law requiring that they be taught half of their subjects in Afrikaans, the language of the White government. The story's events unfold from the perspectives of Hector, his sister, and the photographer who captured their photo in the chaos. This book can serve as a pertinent tool for adults discussing global history and race relations with children. Its graphic novel style and mixed media art portray the vibrancy and grit of Hector's daily life and untimely death. Heartbreaking yet relevant, this powerful story gives voice to an ordinary boy and sheds light on events that helped lead to the end of apartheid.
A grandfather and his grandson share the quiet pleasures of a rainy day.
Join Baby and his doting mama at a bustling southwest Nigerian marketplace for a bright, bouncy read-aloud offering a gentle introduction to numbers.
When Anyaugo follows a giant chicken into her kitchen one warm night in Nigeria, she embarks on a fun-filled adventure where nothing is quite as it seems. Is the nature spirit that lives in the wooden walls of her house a help or a hindrance? Is the mischievous giant chicken a friend or a foe? Most importantly, will Anyaugo be able to save the food her Aunties have cooked for the New Yam Festival the next day?
A harrowing picture biography of civil-rights activist and Grammy Award-winning South African singer Miriam Makeba.
In a time of drought in the Kingdom of Morocco, a storyteller and a boy weave a tale to thwart a Djinn and his sandstorm from destroying their city.
Wangari Maathai received the Nobel Peace Prize in 2004 for her efforts to lead women in a nonviolent struggle to bring peace and democracy to Africa through its reforestation. Her organization planted over thirty million trees in thirty years. This beautiful picture book tells the story of an amazing woman and an inspiring idea.