Count Your Way Through Zimbabwe

Children's Literature - Mary Loftus

Counting to ten is the springboard for educating readers about Zimbabwean culture. The introduction explains that English is the official language of Zimbabwe but that the most common African language is called Shona. Topics include food, housing, and geography. The numbers are merely the framework and are not tied to each topic. "Six students practice reading and writing," introduces a page on schooling for the children of Zimbabwe. The Hwange National Park and Victoria Falls are two popular sites that are featured. Illustrations are simple and complement the text; nine crops are accompanied by pictures of peanuts, wheat, coffee beans, and the other food staples grown in Zimbabwe. Each number is spelled out in Shona, along with its pronunciation. This book is one in a series of "Count Your Way Through" books, which give a basic introduction to general facts about life in another country, while teaching students how to count to ten in the language of that country.