Penda Diakité

Author/illustrator team and father and daughter Penda and Baba Wagué Diakité draw inspiration from their own family history in this engaging tale of a young Malian American girl who loses a tooth while visiting her father's family in Mali. As Amina is enveloped by her extended family, experiencing life in their compound—receiving blessings from her N'na, or grandmother; playing games with her cousins; preparing and eating meals together—she worries away at her loose tooth, which show more eventually falls out. Her father instructs her to place the lost tooth under a calabash, as the Tooth Fairy will bring her a chicken in return, and sure enough she soon receives a hen and rooster. With the help of her family she creates a house for the pair, and soon her hen is laying eggs...

According to the author's dedication, as well as the note at the rear of the book, I Lost My Tooth in Africa is a true story, which happened to Penda Diakité's younger sister Amina, when the family were visiting kin in Mali. A photograph of Amina, missing her tooth and holding her chicken, is included with the note. I found the story here engaging, and appreciated the glimpse it gave of Malian family traditions, as well as traditions around the loss of a baby tooth in that part of the world. Children familiar with the western Tooth Fairy will find this alternative tradition quite interesting I think. The accompanying artwork, painted on ceramic tiles in deep, earthy colors, has a wonderful folk sensibility and is very appealing. I have read a number of Baba Wagué Diakité's folklore retellings, so it was interesting to pick up this realistic story. Recommended to anyone looking for stories set in Mali and/or West Africa, as well as tales about baby tooth traditions. Those interested in comparing such traditions around the world might also like to seek out Selby B. Beeler and G. Brian Karas Throw Your Tooth on the Roof: Tooth Traditions from Around the World. show less

This charming tale, written by a teenager about her younger sister, is about a little girl, Amina, who is excited about the prospect of losing her tooth while on a family vacation in Mali. Her father has told her that the African tooth fairy leaves behind a chicken for a tooth, and Amina is over the moon when she finds a hen and a rooster in the place of her tooth. Amina cares for the chickens and their growing brood, happy that her African family will continue to watch over her chickens show more until the next time she visits. The story is sweet, all the more for being true, and will delight children with a glimpse at another culture. The illustrations, done by the author’s father, are colorful, detailed, and just plain interesting to look at. The book also comes with a glossary and a family recipe – bonus goodies! show less

This book followed a family tradition of the common known “tooth fairy.” The overall focus/theme in this story was a fictional storytelling of how to prepare a lost tooth for the tooth fairy in Africa, by placing it under a gourd in exchange for a chicken.
Overall I enjoyed this book because I found it quite interesting to hear a spin on stories I grew up with as a child and the ways they differ in other countries. Some things that I enjoyed were the illustrations in this book. They were show more very fun and easy for the children to relate to. For example, in one of the pages Diakite does an excellent job of turning the picture of a place into a chicken. The pictures are fun and colorful for children to follow along with.
Another thing I enjoyed about this book is how relatable it was, especially for children in the United States. Most children are familiar with the tooth fairy that brings money, so for them to hear a twist on cultural traditions they are familiar with was interesting. I think this book does an excellent job of drawing in children’s attention and pacing them through the story. I also found it interesting that in the prelude of the story and the way Diakite discusses how storytelling was such a large part of her childhood (also relatable to children). show less

I lost my tooth in Africa is an autobiography of the author’s sister experience when she visited her family in Africa and lost her tooth. I enjoyed this book for three main reasons. The illustrations were bordered by the main idea on every page. One on particular page of the text Amina flipped over “the calabash, two chickens popped out”. The border around this particular image was of two chicken and the tooth the Amina lost. I thought that this was a great idea on the illustrator’s show more part. It helped the reader understand what the main idea of the page is about. Also, the author used language as a bridge between the two cultures. On each page there was a new word to learn (kay kay ray kay). It brought a greater meaning to the story and culture behind this text. Which leads me to the main idea, the culture is what this story is all about. The authors sister lost her tooth while she was in Africa visiting family. She followed their cultures customs and buried the tooth in the ground and then would receive two chickens. Lastly, I enjoyed the story line of this book. It was smooth and thought out transitions. It seemed to be read to the reader and was easy to follow. show less