A Gift from Childhood: Memories of an African Boyhood

Brief Description: Baba Wague is only four years old when he is sent to the tiny Malian village of Kassar, West Africa, to be raised by his paternal grandparents, according to the family tradition. He is most unhappy about this at first, but under his grandmother's patient and wise tutelage, he comes to love his close-knit village community, as he listens to his grandmother's stories, learns about his own history and traditions, and experiences many hilarious and sobering adventures along the way. He learns how to catch a catfish with his bare hands, learns the true meaning of the appearance of a snake in the granary, flees from an army of bees and mistakes a hungry albino cobra snake for a pink inner tube. And he survives, with trepidation and pride, his circumcision -- a ceremony that brings together the entire village. Finally, Grandma Sabou decides that Baba is educated enough to go to school, and he moves back to the city, where his family struggles to provide him with a formal education. But he brings his village stories with him, and in the process of sharing them with his neighborhood, he not only uncovers his immense artistic and storytelling talents, but eventually finds his way to America, where he embarks on a new life as a writer and artist. Diakite's engaging storytelling style and bright, bold illustrations make this a beautiful gift book and a wonderful tribute to Malian village life. Biographical Note: Baba Wague Diakite is an award-winning artist, ceramicist, writer and storyteller. His book "The Hunterman and the Crocodile" was named a Coretta Scott King Honor Book." The Magic Gourd" (Africana Book Awards Honor Book) and "The Hatseller and the Monkeys" (Aesop Prize) both received starred reviews from "Publishers Weekly "and "Kirkus Reviews." "I Lost My Tooth in Africa," written by his daughter Penda Diakite and illustrated by Wague, won the Africana Book Award for Best Book for Young Children. Diakite is also the author/illustrator of "Mee-Ann and the Magic Serpent," and he is the illustrator of "Jamari's Drum" (by Eboni Bynum and Roland Jackson) and "The Pot of Wisdom" (by Adwoa Badoe), all Groundwood titles. He is the founder and director of the Ko-Falen Cultural Center in Bamako, Mali, an organization that promotes cultural, artistic and educational exchanges between people of the US and Mali through art workshops, dance, music and ceremony. He is married to Portland artist Ronna Neuenschwander and divides his time between Bamako and Portland, Oregon. Review Quotes: "Studded with Malian proverbs, metaphors, and morals . . . it's a memoir alive with far more voices than just that of the author." -- "Publishers Weekly" Review Citations:

Publishers Weekly 03/08/2010 pg. 58 (EAN 9780888999313, Hardcover)

New York Times Book Review 03/14/2010 pg. 15 (EAN 9780888999313, Hardcover)

School Library Journal 05/01/2010 pg. 129 (EAN 9780888999313, Hardcover)

Bulletin of Ctr for Child Bks 06/01/2010 (EAN 9780888999313, Hardcover)

Horn Book Magazine 07/01/2010 pg. 130 (EAN 9780888999313, Hardcover)

Multicultural Review 12/01/2010 pg. 72 (EAN 9780888999313, Hardcover)

Hornbook Guide to Children 07/01/2010 (EAN 9780888999313, Hardcover)

Wilson Middle/Junior Hi Catalo 01/01/2011 pg. 119 (EAN 9780888999313, Hardcover)

Wilson Children's Catalog 01/01/2011 pg. 138 (EAN 9780888999313, Hardcover)