Mansa Musa: The Richest Man Who Ever Lived (Legends of Africa) - Softcover

Oyinsan, Bunmi

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1990288022 ISBN 13: 9781990288029

Publisher: Nurturing Minds Academy, 2025

Synopsis

Discover the extraordinary story of Mansa Musa, the legendary ruler of the Mali Empire.

In the fourteenth century, Mansa Musa ruled one of the most powerful and prosperous empires in the world. His famous pilgrimage to Mecca became legendary for the enormous quantities of gold he distributed along the way, while the empire he ruled was an important centre of trade, scholarship, culture and learning.

Mansa Musa: The Richest Man Who Ever Lived introduces young readers to the history of the Mali Empire through an engaging fictionalized retelling inspired by the life of its celebrated fourteenth-century ruler.

Through accessible storytelling and colourful illustrations, children encounter the Mali Empire, the importance of gold and trade, Mansa Musa's celebrated journey across North Africa, and the growth of centres of learning such as Timbuktu.

Part of the Legends of Africa series, the book introduces children to African history beyond the familiar narratives of slavery and colonialism, opening a window onto the kingdoms, empires, scholarship, commerce and political leadership that formed part of Africa's much longer history.

Written for children ages 5–9, the book can be enjoyed as a read-aloud with younger readers or explored independently by older children. It is particularly well suited to homes, classrooms and libraries looking for engaging resources on African history, Black history, the Mali Empire, medieval Africa and important figures from the African past.

About this title

About the Author

Bunmi Oyinsan, PhD, is a Nigerian-Canadian author, educator, scholar, and media producer whose work spans children's literature, fiction, television, academic scholarship, and digital storytelling. She is the author of several books for children and adults, including A Ladder of Bones (Guernica Editions, 2025), the Legends of Africa series, and the Adventures of Anansi and Sewa series. She is also the creator and producer of the Sankofa Pan African Series, Sankofa Stories and Nursery Rhymes, and SankofaStorybooks.com, platforms dedicated to sharing African history, culture, literature, and storytelling with audiences around the world. Her children's work draws on African and diasporic histories and storytelling traditions to create engaging stories through which young readers can encounter culture, imagination, family, and everyday life.

Edition details

• Publisher: Nurturing Minds Academy
• Publication date: 2025
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1990288022
• ISBN 13: 9781990288029
• Binding: Paperback
• Illustrator: Khan Sardar Hammad
• Edition number: 2
• Number of pages: 34