We are big readers in our house, and we have proudly curated a wonderful collection of books for our girls. Both my husband and I want to be sure that our children are strongly exposed to both Kenyan and American culture, so we have made sure we have plenty of books in our collection about life in Kenya and Africa at large. Here are a few of our favorites!
For You are a Kenyan Child, by Kelly Cunnane and Ana Juan
For You are a Kenyan Child is a lovely story about a Kalenjin boy who lives in a rural Kenyan village. He has been given the job of minding his grandfather’s cattle for the day, but he becomes so distracted by all the goings-on in the village that he loses track of the herd. My eldest daughter loves the part when the boy realizes he’s lost track of his grandfather’s cows, and he imagines all the trouble they may have gotten into. I love when he almost knocks down a beautiful Pokot girl and a plump mama carrying mangoes while trying to get back to the grazing cows. Luckily, his wise grandfather knows just where to find them! The illustrations in this book are truly beautiful, and we just love the story.
Chirchir is Singing, by Kelly Cunnane and Jude Daly
Chirchir is Singing is the story of Chirchir, a young Kalenjin girl who loves to sing, and wants to help her family with all their work. She tries to help her mother bring water from the well, but drops the bucket. She tries to help her grandmother make the tea, but accidentally puts out the fire. She tries to help her sister mud the floor, but sneezes and makes a mess. Slowly, Chirchir stops singing, and her smile turns to a frown. But soon she finds exactly how she can help, and her family realizes just how wonderful her singing is.
Moja Means One, by Muriel Feelings and Tom Feelings
Moja Means One is a simple Kiswahili counting book, and it’s great for even very young children. It not only teaches children how to count to ten in Kiswahili, but it also describes important African cultural practices, like the way mothers carry their babies on their backs in a simple cloth, the oral tradition of storytelling in the rural villages, and different kinds of traditional African clothing. Both of my children are learning Kiswahili from their father, but it’s so nice to have a book that emphasizes their African heritage!
Lila and the Secret of Rain, by David Conway and Jude Daly
This is the story of a young girl in a rural Kenyan village afflicted by drought. The sun beats down on the village, and it is too hot to gather firewood, too hot to weed the garden, and too hot to milk the cow. Young Lila learns from her grandfather the secret of the rain, and she sets out to save her village and bring the rains. She climbs the highest mountain she can find, and begins to tell the sky the saddest things she knew. At last, she laments that without water, there can be no life, and her village is at risk. The sky grows darker, full of Lila’s sadness, and the rain begins to fall. Only Lila and her grandfather know the secret of what brought the rains.
Into the Bush, by Sandra Arensen
Into the Bush is a story is about a young girl named Lilee and her adventures on safari with her family. The tale is vividly told – you can almost hear the sound of the hyenas crunching on bones, or the snap of the crocodile’s jaws in the river below. What I love most about this book are the amazing illustrations. Sandra Arensen does her own artwork using watercolors, and her use of striking lines and vibrant color reminds me of spectacular stained glass windows. My children love the story and the illustrations, and my eldest always talks about her own safari experiences when we read it!
“Into the Bush” isn’t available online, but you can send an email to the publisher at editorial@oldafricamagazine.
The Lion and the Mouse, by Jerry Pinkney
Jerry Pinkney illustrated his beautiful adaptation of Aesop’s famous fable about acts of kindness. There are no words in this book – it is up to parents to narrate the story based on the powerful illustrations. We all know the tale: a fierce lion decides to spare the life of a timid field mouse who wakes him from his sleep. Later, the tiny mouse comes to the lion’s rescue, freeing him from a poacher’s net. The moral of the story, of course, is that no good deed goes unrewarded, and that all creatures – great and small – can help one another.
Safari ya Angani, by Francis Atulo
This is a story of the once-beautiful tortoise who wished to fly with the crows into the sky to eat the clouds. One day, the crows carry him up into the sky, as the tortoise sings, “Tunaenda kula mawingu,” (We’re going to eat the clouds!). But the crows lose their grip, and the tortoise falls down to Earth, landing on his back and cracking his beautiful shell. This story is told in simple Kiswahili, and our girls love to sing with the tortoise!
Opulo Aenda Safari by Frank Odoi
The story of a rat named Opulo, who used to have a beautiful, fluffy tail and a nice Maasai blanket to wear on his shoulder. But Opulo is stubborn, and he refuses advice from friends when he sets off on a journey. He winds up walking straight into a thunderstorm, and ultimately loses both his beautiful clothing and his fluffy tail, and learns an important lesson.
Shambani kwa Babu by Hassan Makombo
The story of a young boy named Mumo who goes to the village to visit his grandparents. While helping his grandfather in the garden, he shoots at a bird’s nest with his slingshot, and disturbs a nest of bees. His wise grandfather quickly fans the fire, and uses the smoke to chase away the bees, and Mumo learns an important lesson.
We want our children to see themselves in the books we read, and these tales of life in Kenya definitely give our kids a chance to identify with their Kenyan culture and heritage. Since we live in Nairobi, the capital city of Kenya, our girls aren’t always exposed to traditional life in the rural villages. We love the traditional tales spun in these stories!
Do you read your children stories about their native country and culture? What are your favorites?
This is an original post to World Moms Blog by Tara Wambugu. Follow Tara and her family’s adventures on her blog, Mama Mgeni, and connect with her on Facebook and Twitter.
Photos for The Lion and the Mouse by Natasha Sweeney, used with permission. All other photos credited to the author.
Tara Wambugu
Tara Wambugu is a wife, a mother of two, and a Kenya-based lifestyle blogger covering parenting, family life, travel, and more. A former aid worker, Tara has worked in various countries in Europe, Central Asia, Africa, and Central America. She is now a stay-at-home mom living in Nairobi with her husband and their two sassy little girls. You can follow Tara and her family’s adventures on her blog, Mama Mgeni.
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What a great list! Thanks! I’ve been collecting lists of picture books from different countries, and using them to introduce my son to a different world culture every few weeks.
I’ve struggled to find the right picture books about African countries — especially because so many that are available in the US are set “in Africa,” but not in a specific country. (Even “Anna Hibiscus,” which is one of our favorites and is written by a Nigerian author, just refers to Anna being from Africa, not from a specific country.) I’m very aware of the fact that Americans too often lump all of Africa together, acting like it’s a single country rather than a continent full of many unique countries. But at the same time, many of the picture books based on folk tales relate more to specific tribes rather than countries or nationalities. And of course, there’s the fact that national boundaries were drawn during the colonial era and often had little to do with tribal boundaries.
I’d be very interested in your perspective on all this, and how to best introduce my son to the many cultures of African countries. Thanks!
You know, many of the books that take place in African countries are written as taking place in a generalized “Africa.” Part of it is the world’s generalization of Africa as a “country,” so to speak. But also, especially for books published in African countries, they know they will have a wider appeal if they take place “in Africa,” rather than in a specific African country. (For example, a Tanzanian might be more likely to purchase a book set “in Africa,” than a book set in Uganda.) A few that I can think of that are more country specific: Anansi the Spider (a tale from the Ashanti tribe in Ghana), and all of the books in my post are very specifically about life in Kenya.
Good luck, and let me know what other books you find! 🙂
That makes a lot of sense — thanks!
Great list, thank you! Another favorite of ours is Mama Panya’s Pancakes by Mary Chamberlin.
Thank you! I can’t believe we’ve never owned that book!
My only concern is the content especially with the numbers one – Kiswahili has no “-ay” sound the e is said as “-e” (as we pronounce when saying the vowels). I wonder if the promote proper Kiswahili, because that was a huge concern for me, again it is good to have native writers for “African ” books, as we want to put it.
I agree – I would love to find more Kenyan authors for Kenyan children’s books, and I support Kenyan authors whenever I can. For You Are a Kenyan Child has some pretty serious spelling mistakes in the Kiswahili parts.
Thank you for the list Tara. I work in literacy (using tech) but I’ve met great Kenyan writers for young children. Check Grace Wangari – Forever Tree, also translated to Swahili – Mti wa Milele and Kwame Nyong’o who has several titles, including I love Ugali and Sukuma Wiki.
Thanks so much, Clara! I’ve been wanting to check out I Love Ugali and Sukuma Wiki for a long time now!
Clara, thanks for this. Was just browsing about Kenyan storybooks and landed on the blog – then your comment! Would love to hear your feedback on The Forever Tree 🙂 Oh, and I have a new children’s book out just published this November titled The Colour Magician.
Great list here Tara.
My family moved to Nairobi when I was3. I grew up with the Mumo books. I loved them! We moved back to the States shortly before my 5th birthday. I remember Kenya fondly, for that is where my memories began.
Oh wow, I had no idea the Mumo books were old school! ?
I wonder if you have any recommendations for books for older children? My 11 year old has been doing some research on Kenya for a homeschool project, but she’s an avid reader and loves stories, I would love to be able to recommend a Kenyan novel to her that would give her a deeper feel for the country .
Hi Sharon! My daughter is starting to read chapter books, and I’ve been on the lookout for some great books about Kenya (ideally by Kenyan authors!). We’ve only just started our research, but here are a few we’re hoping to read soon: Facing the Lion: Growing Up Maasai on the African Savanna by Joseph Lemasolai Lekuton, Owen & Mzee: Language Of Friendship by Isabella Hatkoff, Craig Hatkoff and Dr. Paula Kahumbu (this is a longer version of the picture book A Mummy for Owen, which we love!), Unbowed: A Memoir by Wangari Maathai (this is not a kids’ book, but I think I will try to read it together with my daughter because Wangari Maathai is such an inspiration!), and Seeds of Change: Wangari’s Gift to the World by Jen Cullerton Johnson (probably more age-appropriate than Unbowed). Best of luck to your daughter as she learns more about Kenya! What a cool project!
Thank you! What a great list, I’ll be on the look out for these, thanks so much.
Hey! I’m a nit late but I think it’s great that your daughter is interested in Kenya. When I was 11 I read several books from a series called Pacesetter: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pacesetter_Novels All books are by African authors and several are by Kenyan authors. You can also check books Clifford Oluoch and John Kiriamiti on Amazon. All the best!
Dear Mrs. Wambugu,
I’m a retired kindergarten teacher who studied early childhood in post graduate classes. There are a group of us planning to go to Amboseli in late September or early October. Some of the leaders have been helpful in gettting running water to a school there. They would like me to come along and help some of the teachers and students. I’d love to do it but I don’t want to come in with “western” ideas that would not be helpful. Are there any precautions or red flags that come up in your mind regarding help we might render?
Thank you,
Gary
Hi Gary! I have sent you an email with some suggestions of NGOs supporting early childhood education that you could donate to, which is the best way to help! Enjoy your trip to Kenya!
Thank you for the list. So interesting! Where can I buy them?
Hi Belinda! The titles of all the books above have links to Amazon where you can buy them – with the exception of Into the Bush, which you’ll have to email the publisher for (the email address is in the post). Good luck!
Dear Tara,
What an amazing list. Thank you so much.
Would you please advise where in Kenya you get your books from?
I’ve been fishing online only to see most of the books listed on amazon and other online sites abroad.
Kindly help.
Rgds,
Evelyn
Hi Evelyn! We have bought these books from various shops – mostly Text Book Centre, Yaya Bookstop, and a few were lucky finds at the Giraffe Centre gift shop in Karen! Into the Bush is available directly from the publisher, who is based in Naivasha and can send books anywhere in Kenya by courier (the publisher’s contacts are in the blog post as well). I find that the Bookstop at Yaya is also quite happy to order books that I can’t find! Good luck, and enjoy reading these with your little ones!
A good list, I wish to have my child 10 yrs read Kenyan children literature books recently(from 2007 to date) published. Can you please assist me have a list. Mark
Dear Mrs. Wambugu
I’m so impressed by your post on picture books. I’m doing a research on picture books in Japan, Hirosaki University ( almost through) but happened to see your post.
I hadn’t found or read Kenyan picture books and my research is on Japanese picture books and possibilities of introducing picture books to Kenya’s education system.
It may take some time though, I’m an upcoming artist and I want to do picture books for Kenya along with other artists too.
Japan has a well established picture book industry and the picture books called (ehon) have really laid a very good foundation for children’s creativity and interest in both reading and interacting with nature and culture through books.
I’ll be coming to Kenya by March and I’m hoping to start the process…
Thank you for your wonderful post. I want to encourage many parents especially mothers to really spend time with their children especially while reading picture books. However, we should make good and affordable picture books available for them.
Thank you