Overview
A joyful ode to kente celebrates the beauty and tradition of this West African fabric that is now so popular in America. Rhythmic verse shows the special meaning of colors and patterns while glorious paintings show kente as it is used and worn in Ghana, from babies' blankets to dancers' capes. An author's note further explains kente's rich symbolism. Readers young and old will delight in discovering the connections between African culture and the colorful cloth we love to wear.
A rhyming description of the kente cloth costumes of the Ashanti and Ewe people of Ghana and a portrayal of the symbolic colors and patterns.
Synopsis
"Ward's high-intensity hues and kente-patterned borders suit the subject matter like a custom-made, bright silk kente robe."— Publishers Weekly
"Ward's lush paintings are wonderful .... This book is important in that it is the first to convey an understanding of kente cloth history and cultural significance for a young audience."— School Library Journal
"A fascinating author's note explains the history and traditions of the cloth."— Booklist
A joyful ode to kente celebrates the beauty and tradition of this West African fabric that is now so popular in America. Rhythmic verse shows the special meaning of colors and patterns while glorious paintings show kente as it is used and worn in Ghana, from babies' blankets to dancers' capes. An author's note further explains kente's rich symbolism. Readers young and old will delight in discovering the connections between African culture and the colorful cloth we love to wear.
Debbi Chocolate is the award-winning author of many books for young readers. She lives with her husband and two sons in a suburb of Chicago.
John Ward is the acclaimed illustrator of several children's books. John and his wife, Olympia, live in Freeport, New York.
Publishers Weekly
The traditional kente cloth of the Ashante people of Ghana stretches to become the stuff of story hour. The cloth's vivid tones (red, yellow, blue, black and gold) are explored for their symbolic values and matched with scenes from African and African American culture and daily life. A spread devoted to "emerald kente," symbolizing a bountiful harvest, shows colorfully garbed characters reaping fruit. Indigo blue is the color of African skies, sheltering a lone shepherd and his flock. This latter choice may confuse some readers, however, as Chocolate (On the Day I Was Born) specifies in a preface that blue represents "love." Ward's (The Adventures of High John the Conqueror) high-intensity hues and kente-patterned borders suit the subject matter like a custom-made, bright silk kente robe. Ages 4-8. (Mar.)