Publisher Description

It has been said that a proverb is a short sentence based on long experience.Whether you're young or old, proverbs can open your mind to new ways of seeing the world. We underestimate children, assuming they are incapable of understanding metaphor and deeper meaning. Children learn in multiple ways, but for each method by which they learn, they need engaged imagination and ignited visual sensibilities. And as adults, we underestimate ourselves when we allow our lives to be about practical matters only. Proverbs can stir our soul and spark our imagination.In African Proverbs for All Ages, noted anthropologist and educator Dr. Johnetta Betsch Cole and award-winning illustrator Nelda La Teef invite children and adults to explore and reflect on complex notions about relationships, identity, society, and the human condition.

Author Biography

Johnnetta Betsch Cole is a noted anthropologist and educator who has worked on issues of racial, gender and other systems of inequality throughout her career. A native of Jacksonville, Florida, she grew up during the days of racial segregation. She holds a B.A. in sociology from Oberlin College, and masters and doctorate degrees from Northwestern University. Dr. Cole is the only person to have served as president for both Spelman and Bennet Colleges; she was also the Director of the Smithsonian National Museum of African Art from 2009 to 2016, and now serves as the Chair of the Board and the President of the National Council of Negro Women.Nelda LaTeef is the award-winning author and illustrator of The Hunter and The Ebony Tree, Animal Village, and The Talking Baobab Tree. She grew up in a US Foreign Service family and spent her childhood attending schools in Europe, Africa, and Asia. She holds a degree in social anthropology from Harvard University, and has traveled throughout West Africa conducting field research, even visiting the fabled city of Timbuktu. Nelda lives in Virginia with her family where she enjoys traveling, tennis, and cycling.

Review

A Children's Africana Book Awards 2022 Honor Book for Children's winner
"This ingeniously designed volume is as engaging as a game, one that becomes more rewarding with each round of play... This is a book that sparks conversation." - The New York Times

"This interactive, multilayered, gorgeously illustrated book of wisdom is for all ages, and it demands repeated reading." - Booklist

"This lushly illustrated collection of African proverbs proposes a game of sorts... Strikingly detailed." - Horn Book "This beautifully illustrated collection of wisdom will be a treasure for children and the adults who share this book with them." - Marian Wright Edelman, President Emerita, Children's Defense Fund "Again and again these irresistible pictures invite you to turn the pages of this quietly powerful book... and to discover exactly the inspiring words you need to hear at the moment." - Ann Temkin, The Marie-Jose and Henry Kravis Chief Curator of Painting and Sculpture, Department of Painting and Sculpture, The Museum of Modern Art "Proverbs are important for all ages, and Dr. Johnnetta Cole and Nelda LaTeef have inspired us with the beautifully illustrated African Proverbs for All Ages! Kids remember proverbs whereas they might forget a long conversation. A must buy!" - Laura Nader, Professor of Anthropology, University of California, Berkeley "The genius of African Proverbs for all Ages is that each stunningly eloquent panel offers a teachable moment. In this regard, this gem of a book leads readers of all ages, of all lands and climes, towards a shared understanding." - Olsop O. Oylrn, Linguist, Scholar of the Yorb Language

Promotional

An Oprah Book about the power of proverbs, how they evolve over time, and the wisdom of various cultures in Africa.

Review Quote

"This ingeniously designed volume is as engaging as a game , one that becomes more rewarding with each round of play... This is a book that sparks conversation ." - The New York Times "This interactive, multilayered, gorgeously illustrated book of wisdom is for all ages, and it demands repeated reading ." - Booklist "This beautifully illustrated collection of wisdom will be a treasure for children and the adults who share this book with them." - Marian Wright Edelman, President Emerita, Children's Defense Fund "Again and again these irresistible pictures invite you to turn the pages of this quietly powerful book... and to discover exactly the inspiring words you need to hear at the moment." - Ann Temkin, The Marie-Jos

Promotional "Headline"

An Oprah Book about the power of proverbs, how they evolve over time, and the wisdom of various cultures in Africa.

Details