From School Library Journal
Grade 5-8?Two characteristics of these four entries in a series on different peoples of sub-Saharan Africa indicate great promise. First, the authors show solid knowledge and understanding of their subjects. Second, each book includes the group's history, thus going beyond the outdated western anthropological view of exotic, unchanging, "primitive" societies. Pokot is outstanding, with excellent integration of historical material and clear explanations of the logic of customs, as well as the best balance of visual material and text. Parts of Rendille seem overly complicated and confusing. All the titles have attractive layouts; good-quality, full-color and black-and-white photographs; and useful glossaries. The maps, however, do not show key environmental concepts, such as rainfall or vegetation. Some of the lists for further reading include hard-to-find monographs, and the most obvious choice for further reading, Michael Maren's The Land and People of Kenya (Lippincott, 1989), is not listed. Also, though some people in all four groups live in "modern" ways, the photos overwhelmingly show individuals in ceremonial dress. Moreover, they are atypical Africans of marginal historical significance. No group is a major player in its modern nation; none was involved in building a pre-colonial kingdom; nor are these groups noteworthy as being ancestors of African Americans. One hopes that the entries on the Xhosa, Agikuyu, Shona, Malinke, Yoruba, and Kongo will balance out the series. Therefore, while well done, these titles are additional purchases.?Loretta Kreider Andrews, Enoch Pratt Free Library, Baltimore
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.
