Africa Dream ~ Eloise Greenfield
This book is about a girl who visits Africa one night in her dreams. She explains some of the sights in "long-ago Africa" as she visits her ancestors.
Africa
Can You Dance, Dalila? ~ Virginia Kroll
This is a fun little story about a girl and her developing interest in dance. She attempts many forms of dance including the jig, line dancing, ballet, and tap dancing.
The Princess and the Pea ~ Rachel Isadora
This book is the retelling of the classic Hans Christian Anderson fairy tale, The Princess and the Pea, with a beautiful African setting!
Can You Hear the Sea? ~ Judy Cumberbatch
This story is very bright and fun! It would be a great addition to an ocean or sea shell themed learning unit. Sarah's grandpa gives her a "magic" sea shell and tells her that if she listens closely she would be able to hear the sea.
Ndito Runs ~ Laurie Halse Anderson
Like many children in Kenya, Ndito runs a long distance to get to school. As she runs through her village, she calls up animal dreams to keep her company.
Count Your Way through Africa ~ Jim Haskins
Count your way through Africa using the Swahili language. This is a great book that teaches about the physical, historical and cultural aspects of Africa all while learning to count from 1 to 10 in Swahili.
The People Remember ~ Ibi Zoboi
A lyrical narrative, The People Remember celebrates the seven principles of Kwanzaa, while telling the journey of African descendants in America.
Gift Days ~ Kari-Lynn Winters
A young African girl desires to go to school like her older brother. However, due to her mother's death, she must spend all her time doing household chores and caring for her younger sisters.
The Water Princess ~ Susan Verde
A young African girl dreams of bringing cool, crystal-clear water to her village so that she and her mom, along with the other females, don't have to walk so far and work so hard to collect the water and carry it home.
The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind ~ William Kamkwamba & Bryan Mealer
This book is based on a true story of a 14-year-old boy living in Malawi, Africa. Riddled by drought, William's family began eating only one meal per day in hopes of prolonging the dwindling food supply. Curious about how mechanical things work, William utilized the library to learn about windmills.
Seven Spools of Thread ~ Angela Shelf Medearis
What a wonderful story! I love how the author uses the seven principles of Kwanzaa in this story of constantly quarreling brothers who are given the task of making gold out of seven spools of thread.
The Night Before Christmas ~ Rachel Isadora
This is a wonderfully unique version of the beloved holiday story, The Night Before Christmas. It takes place in an African village where everyone is excited about the arrival of Santa and his reindeer.
Santa’s Kwanzaa ~ Garen Eileen Thomas
This is a cute book that intertwines Santa Claus and Kwanzaa, making Sant Kwaz. After leaving the last Christmas gift, the black Santa shimmies up the last chimney and heads back to the North Pole with Rudolph leading the way.
Nanta’s Lion ~ Suse MacDonald
This is a search and find adventure book about Nanta, an African girl living in the Maasai village, who went out in search of the lion that had been stealing the cattle in their village.
Elizabeti’s School ~ Stephanie Stuve-Bodeen
Elizabeti experiences her first day of school. However, soon after arriving, she begins to miss her family and begins to wonder if they miss her as much as she misses them.
Jambo Means Hello ~ Muriel Feelings
This is an alphabet book based on words from the Swahili language. My kids enjoyed this book. For a few days they used the words Baba (father), rafiki (friend), and of course, Jambo (hello).
All Aboard for the Bobo Road ~ Stephen Davies
Follow along as Fatima and Galo ride atop a minibus down "the most beautiful road in the world!"
A Story, A Story ~ Gail E. Haley
This is an African tale about how stories came to be. Long ago there were no stories for children to hear, because all the stories belonged to the Sky god.
One Hen ~ Katie Smith Milway
This is a wonderful story of how one small loan made a difference. Kojo, a young boy from Ghana, used a small loan to buy a hen.
Mufaro’s Beautiful Daughters ~ John Steptoe
This is a wonderful African tale about two beautiful sisters. However, despite their beauty, one one of the sisters, Nyasha, was kind and compassionate.