Chambers,
Catherine. African Myths and Legends. Capstone/Heinemann 2013 48p ISBN 978-1-4109-4971-4
series: All About Myths ms Hardback VG Nonfiction
This visually appealing volume in the All
About Myths series aims to make the myths and legends of cultures
throughout the African continent accessible to ‘tween readers by exploring the gods,
goddesses, heroes, villains, tricksters, and quests that make African myths and
legends so compelling. This is not a subject
that is often paired with this age
group. The book is neither a
children's picture book nor an exhaustive encyclopaedia; instead, it mixes dramatic retellings
of select myths with factual information to give readers an intriguing glimpse
into the variety of myths of the African continent. There is not a great deal of organization to the volume, so it can
be difficult to tell which culture produced which myth. However, there are further additional resources suggested that readers can
take advantage of independently if
they wish to know more about a particular figure or
legend. There is a
pronunciation guide and a list of key figures at the end; however, both are extremely limited
and do not sufficiently address their intended subjects. Truly, it is the
excellently matched colors and well-selected photos that help prevent this book
from being a somewhat disorienting chore to read.
This series of four volumes mixes
dramatic retellings and non-fiction information to give a full picture of a culture’s
myths, exploring gods, goddesses, heroes, villains, tricksters, and quests. Given the unique combination of subject matter and intended age
group, this is probably a good volume to have in most libraries, since it is a good
starter resource for students writing reports.
Summary: Part of the All About Myths series, this volume explores the
myths and legends of various African peoples in brief chapters filled with
colorful photographs and illustrations.
African myths --Bethany
Geleskie
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