When Africa Was Home (Orchard Paperbacks) - Softcover

Williams, Karen Lynn

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0531070433 ISBN 13: 9780531070437

Publisher: Scholastic, 1994

Synopsis

After returning to the United States, Peter's whole family misses the warmth and friendliness of their life in Africa; so Peter's father looks for another job there.

About this title

From School Library Journal:

PreSchool-Grade 2-- Peter, a white American, is entirely at home in a Malawian village. He slides down anthills in the hot sun, chews sugarcane with his friend Yekha, and runs with the goats. When he has to go to America with his parents, he feels displaced, and waits patiently until their joyful return to the village, where he is once again at home. Williams evokes Africa as the ultimate playground, a place of warmth, belonging, and freedom. Cooper's luminous paintings in oranges, yellows, greens, and blues contribute to this image, as they show Peter and Yekha playing against a background of shimmering heat. The warmth of that country is contrasted starkly with the cold of winter in America. Peter's story tends to lose its flow in the descriptions of daily life. However, continuity is provided by frequent use of the phrase, "when Africa was home," and by the use of Chichewa words followed by their English equivalent. Cooper's portrayal of people varies: his profiles of faces are usually more successful than his frontal views. Peter's face changes from page to page, and so does his apparent age. Also, although the use of Chichewa places the book in Malawi, some characters appear West African in their style of dress. The book is successful as a read-aloud, but the print is also large enough for independent reading. It will be most useful to those looking for material for multicultural units. --Susan Giffard, Englewood Public Library, NJ
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Publishers Weekly:

Luminous artwork and a lyrical, informative text introduce Peter, an American boy who lives with his parents in an African village. Ages 4-7.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About this edition

• Publisher: Scholastic
• Publication date: 1994
• ISBN 10: 0531070433
• ISBN 13: 9780531070437
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 32
• Illustrator: Cooper Floyd