Customer Reviews

Seven Spools of Thread: A Kwanzaa Story

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

A great book to share and explain Kwanzaa values. I am participating in a library program and this tales of selfishness and unity from an African folklore is a wonderful way to explain the principle of Umoja. The illustrations are beautiful with rich and bold color. This is a story I will never forget.

A friend shared this book with me when we were in a discussion of Africa's Kente cloth, woven with bright colors in narrow strips and then sewed into wider fabric. Seven Spools... is a delightful tale well told and beautifully illustrated. The moral lesson of cooperation is clearly shown. I have ordered it to be a great addition to my group of African books for children and adults.

I absolutely love this story! I have shared it with many of my students who also love the story.It demonstrates a very valuable lesson that children and adults can relate to and understand. I highly recommend this book!

I use this book to teach my students about the principles of Kwanza and it serves that purpose very well. The principles are woven into the story, without being named, so that I am able to incorporate comprehension work into our discussion. We read the page that lists the principles and what they mean, and then we go back into the story and figure out where we see the principles illustrated. Great! The students also like how this story is similar in structure to fairy tales. I would totally recommend this book!

The story takes place in the West African county of Ghana and is about seven sons of an old man. The sons argue all the time, until their father dies and leaves each one of them a spool of thread. Moreover, they have used the spools of thread to make pot of gold in order to receive their father's inheritance. Thus, the brothers have to stop arguing, use the principle of umoja to decide how they can use the cloth to solve their problem. Furthermore, the brothers use kuumba to weave Kente Cloth, "The Kings Cloth" that so many African Americans wear during ceremonies in the United States.

The Kwanzaa Coloring Book