Poor Chinye! Back and forth through the forest she goes, fetching and carrying for her cruel stepmother. But strange powers are watching over her. How Chinye discovers the magic of the gourds and transforms her life is enchantingly retold in this traditional West African story of goodness, greed, and a treasure-house of gold.
Ifeoma Onyefulu was brought up in a traditional village in Eastern Nigeria. After completing a business management course, she trained as a photographer, contributing to a number of magazines. Ifeoma's highly acclaimed children's books are renowned for countering negative images of Africa by celebrating its traditional village life. Her work has been admired at many exhibitions. A is for Africa, her first book, was chosen as one of Child Education's Best Information Books and Junior Education's Best Books. She has twice won the Children's Africana Book Award: Best Book for Young Children in the USA for Here Comes Our Bride! in 2005 and Ikenna Goes to Nigeria in 2008. Ifeoma lives in London.Evie Safarewicz trained as a ceramic designer before becoming a freelance illustrator. She is a visiting lecturer at Canterbury College of Art and Design, where she teaches plant drawing. She is also an enthusiastic traveller, taking a particular interest in the peoples and landscapes of Africa.