Gcina Mhlophe

Traditional folk tales from several African countries. These have a spread about the country of origin before each tale, for context and additional learning. Good translation, very readable and relatable for kids, not written for children but not inappropriate. Stories are folktales, some have morals, some have a character that appears in other stories, like Anansi the spider. The morals are good and subtle, whispered and not shouted at the reader. Illustrator used sewn cloth, for a very show more traditional look. Some pages have a topless woman described in the sewing, in traditional garb.
I'd recommend for bedtime reading, readers who want more folk tales, and those who need moral guidance. show less

This beautifully written book touches on eight different characters from eight different countries. Each tale talks about the country and the culture that lives within the country. The best trait about the book is its artwork and illustrations. The book is African theme, of course. The book has a sort of Fabric look to it and conveys many African themes such as their attire, beads, and their customs. I am very interested in the African culture and this book would be great for a study on show more culture. Although I did enjoy the illustrations more than the actual text itself. show less

This book is a collection of eight stories from countries such as Senegal, Swaziland, and Ghana. There are some familiar and not so familiar folk characters and wonderful illustrations that celebrate the culture of these stories. I love African tales because they are always full of good morals and life lessons, and this is a superb collection of them.

“African Tales: A Barefoot Collection” is a chapter book/informational book with many, many different African tales. This book is a great African culture book because it portrays great culture details in a way that children can understand them. The book is set up with information first and then a story following along. This means that children can get prior knowledge before they read the story which will allow them to understand the story even better. Each story has its own message and show more each story is describing different events of the history of Africa. show less