Eyewitness: Africa (Eyewitness Books) [Hardcover]

Yvonne Ayo (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 1, 2000 | Age Level: 8 and up | Grade Level: 3 and up | Series: DK Eyewitness Books

Discover the traditional lifestyles, beliefs, skills and crafts of the peoples of this vast and ancient continent.

Here is a spectacular and informative guide to the peoples of a vast and mysterious continent. Superb color photographs offer a unique "eyewitness" view of the people, houses, tools and artifacts of African cultures and civilizations. See the gold of King Kofi-Karikari of the Asante, a priest's costume made of bird's feathers, a traveler's magic charm, the flywhisks and crowns of the Obas of Nigeria and the incredible distorted masks of the Bamileke of Cameroon. Learn how bronzes were made by the lost-wax process, about the journey of a slave from Africa to North America, how elephants were trapped by hunter-gatherers, what life in a compound is like and how much metal would buy a wife. Discover what ulani warriors and their horses wore into battle, how a thatched house is built, the mysteries of the secret societies and how gourds are carved. And much, much more!

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 5-8?These titles boast the same fabulous layout, interesting photographs, and fascinating facts that have made the series so popular. They also have many of the same drawbacks, such as poor depiction of relative size in the photos and topics that are too broad to be covered in one volume. Africa is populated by so many groups that they can't all be addressed in depth here. The book's organization results in a lack of continuity as it moves through discussions of social life and customs with minimal references to place and group names. This problem is compounded by the fact that much of the information is given in broad generalities. Only one small map of the continent is provided, and readers may find it dizzying going back and forth to figure out where they are. Similar problems occur in Gorilla, which is really about primates. This volume does a better job of presenting its topic, however, by focusing on one group or type of primate at a time. Determining the relative size of these mammals is not possible on many of the pages, although in some instances weight and height figures are given. While these books won't be useful for reports, they are fun to browse through.?Melissa Gross, Beverly Hills Public Library, CA
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

...a mini museum between the covers of a book. [Eyewitness series] -- The New York Times

...a spectacular and informative guide... -- African Sun Times

These books' striking visual impact will draw in even the most casual readers. [Eyewitness series] -- School Library Journal

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 8 and up
  
• Hardcover: 64 pages
• Publisher: DK CHILDREN; 1st edition (July 1, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0789460300
• ISBN-13: 978-0789460301
• Product Dimensions: 11.1 x 8.6 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #570,881 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Rural Africa, November 5, 2001

By 

"langendorfk" (Cincinnati, OH USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Eyewitness: Africa (Eyewitness Books) (Hardcover)

This book is part of the Eyewirness Books collection. It has a table of contents and index which is useful to readers looking for specific information. It contains informational introductions and many colorful photographs with detailded captions. Africa is broken into twenty-eight sections with headings such as home life ans self-adornment. This book covers everything from a step-by-step process of how they build their homes to what they use for eating, their daily lives, clothes, and entertainment.
I must share a word of caution for using this book without proper instruction. From the title, one would expect that all of Africa would be represented throughout the book. However, the focus is on rural Africa and historical practices. There is hardly any mention of cities of the people who inhabit them.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars If I only had these books when I was a kid!, April 26, 2000

By 

PHILIP S BERIDON (Acadiana (South Louisiana)) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Africa (Eyewitness Books) (Hardcover)

When I was in Elem.School (I'm 42 now!)and had to do any type of research for school projects the only avenue available was (in most cases) out dated materals in my local library. If the "Eyewitness Books" series (64 Photo Study Books) was available I would have made much better grades! With topics from "AFRICA" to "WHALES" this set of study aides give a true color photo study of the subject chosen. In this book "AFRICA" we see photos of a detail and quality found only in current copies of National Geographic. It will help any child discover the traditional lifestyles, beliefs, skills & crafts of the people of ancient Africa. If you pick up any of these 64 "Eyewitness Books" be careful...You will want to get them all!

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Resource, December 30, 2009

By 

M. Bryant "Teacher" (Washington) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Eyewitness: Africa (Eyewitness Books) (Hardcover)

Eyewitness books always are a great resource when learning about a culture. This book has wonderful pictures and descriptions of the cultures found in Africa.