Children's books

	ISBN: 978-0152010744 The Story Tellers Beads From Publishers Weekly Set in the mid-1980s, a time when Ethiopia is hard-hit by drought and political strife, Kurtz's (Trouble) eye-opening novel charts the converging paths of two young natives fleeing from their country. Sahay, a Christian orphan, and Rahel, a blind Jewish girl, have been taught to be enemies, but discover they have much in common when they join a large group of refugees on their way to Sudan: both have suffered hunger and persecution, have been torn from their families and regret leaving their homeland. Through the girls' alternating points of view, Kurtz conveys how the fellow travelers' mutual mistrust of one another gradually grows into reliance upon each other for aid and consolation. When soldiers force Sahay's uncle and Rahel's brother to turn back, Sahay experiences her first pang of pity for the "blind Falasha" girl and offers to be her guide. In turn, Rahel soothes Sahay's lagging spirit with inspirational stories from the Old Testament. Besides presenting an historically accurate account of mass exodus from Ethiopia (additional information appears in an afterword), the story pays tribute to survivors who find the strength and courage to help others reach freedom. Ages 8-12. Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.
	ISBN: 978-0736843546 Reading level: Ages 4-8
	0152000364 Faraway Home From School Library Journal Kindergarten-Grade 3-Desta's grandmother is ill in faraway Ethiopia, and her father must return to his native land to help out. As he cuddles his daughter on his lap, he describes the place of his birth. The child pairs his experiences with hers and wonders whether the cowbells he remembers sound like the wind chime on their front porch. The man's love and yearning for home is obvious, and the little girl worries that he may never return to her. Finally reassured that he will come back, she asks him so many questions about his childhood home that when he sings in his native tongue, she begins to see "-a pink cloud of flamingos rippling up from a dark blue lake-." Lewis captures the lyricism and rich imagery of the text with his evocative, realistic watercolors. Soft browns, blues, greens, and pinks predominate in paintings that flow to the edge of pages for scenes set here, and fade off into white for those set in the Ethiopia of memory and longing. Text and illustrations combine to immerse readers in the sights and sounds of the African homeland, and the beautifully crafted whole gives fresh meaning to the terms "family," "separation," and "home."-Diane S. Marton, Arlington County Library, VA Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.
	0152002197 Amazon.com This charming children's story is based on a story that author Jane Kurtz heard growing up in Ethiopia. In it, young Tekleh is always getting into trouble, letting the goats into the garden, kicking dust on the roasting coffee beans. So his father gives him a gift of a wooden board game, which he promises will keep Tekleh out of trouble. We follow Tekleh the next morning as he takes the family's two goats to graze, and has a series of adventures before he returns home, the same but different. Durga Berhnard's warm, earth-toned illustrations are the perfect companion to this book.
	174059133
	0192745352 When the World Began From School Library Journal Grade 4-6-Twenty pourquoi tales, myths, and extended jokes paint a picture of a vibrant culture, open to the world around it. The title story tells how people stole the gift of dominance from God's favorite creature, the buffalo, and is followed by selections that explain such things as how the tortoise got her shell, how one might best depose a tyrant, and how arrogance and pride are answered. Some stories are reminiscent of Aesop and some of Perrault. The fluid recountings read aloud or tell equally well. Folktale enthusiasts who prefer to read their stories will find the tales extended by the work of four artists. Deep-hued oil pastels and jewel-toned watercolors have a sense of volume and heft, while the realistic pen-and-ink vignettes that accompany some endings add reality and grounding. Other stories are illustrated with cut-paper cartoons, accentuating their humor. This well-rounded collection could be used with multicultural offerings like Virginia Hamilton's In the Beginning (Harcourt, 1988) or as a springboard for Ted Hughes's slightly more sophisticated and tongue-in-cheek Tales of the Early World (Farrar, 1991). A solid addition to most folktale collections. Ann Welton, Terminal Park Elementary School, Auburn, WA Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.
	0208024298 The Lion's Whiskers From School Library Journal Grade 4-7. The earlier title by the same name (Little, Brown, 1959; o.p.) had 31 stories divided by region and accompanied by background material on the culture of each place. The present edition culls 16 of the favorite stories from that book and provides striking woodcut illustrations, making the tales more accessible to younger audiences. Some of the stories have clear morals and give messages about love, honor, courage, and wisdom. Others, in the way of oral tradition, end abruptly with the storyteller asking listeners to provide their own conclusions or leave the ending open for an additional tale. The characters are people of various regions and faiths; animals such as lions, hyenas, baboons, and turtles; kings and commoners; and even a thumb-sized character who could be compared to the Western Thumbelina. The diversity of cultures in this nation is revealed by selections that come out of the Christian tradition and Old Testament stories told by the Jews who live there. Each story is framed by a short introduction to the teller and the circumstances in which it was heard, thus providing some understanding of the story tradition in Ethiopia and a connection to the previous tale. An introduction provides background to the book and an afterword updates it to show the historical changes in Ethiopia since the first book was published. A selection worth acquiring for folktale collections or to supplement African studies.?Barbara Chatton, College of Education, University of Wyoming, Laramie Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.
	0516236806
	0689803249 Pulling the Lion's Tail From School Library Journal Grade 2-4?A retelling of the Ethiopian folktale "The Lion's Whiskers." In the traditional story, a new stepmother learns to be patient in drawing her stepson into accepting her. Kurtz's version has a female child as the central character, emphasizing her persistent attempts to reach out to her father's new wife after her mother's death. The details of mourning and her daily life make the forlorn Almaz seem real, and the respectful warmth of her relationship with her wise grandfather is sensitively portrayed. The author's note may help American children to appreciate the stepmother, who appears to reject all of the girl's initiatives. Kurtz's language has a tender lyricism further emphasized by Cooper's oil paintings. A brown wash mutes the background colors, creating a timeless sense of story. At the same time, the illustrations, including the appearance of the child and the use of hot colors in the background, give a much less authentic sense of Ethiopia than E.B. Lewis's illustrations for Kurtz's Fire on the Mountain (S.&S., 1994). Pulling the Lion's Tale is a good story that may be especially helpful to American children in blended families. Like so many picture books with African settings, it is less than entirely successful in projecting ideas about Africa.?Loretta Kreider Andrews, Enoch Pratt Free Library, Baltimore, MD Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.
	068918963 Fire on the Mountain From Publishers Weekly Young Alamayu's bravery goes unrewarded by a selfish rich man until the boy's clever sister puts things to rights. "Exceptional watercolors of Ethiopian mountains and mountain people quicken Kurtz's revision of a well-known tale," said PW. Ages 4-8. Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.
	0805036520
	0809167077 The Saint and His Lion We have this book and it is ok. The kids like it but it is not their favorite.
	0823418588
	0960567097 The Story of Coffee We have this one. It is really quite good. Written by a Canadian/Ethiopian whose relatives run an Ethiopian restaurant in Vancouver! Kids like it. The pictures are good and it has both English and Amharic.
	1577657578
	1877810940 The Perfect Orange From Publishers Weekly The author and illustrator of Nekane, the Lami?a & the Bear present the second volume in the Toucan Tales series of international folktales. Discovering a perfect orange in her Ethiopian mountain village, Tshai travels to the city to tender her prize to the great Nigus. When the girl passes the house of the Lord Hyena, the jeering animal scorns her silly gift. But the ruler himself is so moved that he tries to reward Tshai with riches. When she refuses, Nigus orders his Royal Chamberlain to follow her and give her a donkey whose saddle bags are filled with gold and jewels. The greedy hyena hastens to offer Nigus his bountiful lands and cattle. In return, the wise Nigus bestows on the crafty hyena "our most prized possession": one perfect orange. Li's watercolors contrast the cocoa-brown hues of the countryside and buildings with the stark white robes and brilliantly colored accessories of traditional Ethiopian dress; it's odd, however, that his Ethiopian characters have such pink skin. Araujo, who came across this tale while working in the Harare region of Ethiopia, spices up his retelling by incorporating Amharic words and phrases. Ages 3-12. Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.
	9781424303
	B00002414D CD of kids music from Ethiopia
	A life like mine. 1405314605 We have this one and the kids love it. Not exclusively about Ethiopia, but it describes how children live around the world and the basic rights of the child. Put out by Unicef.