African Icons
Ten People Who Shaped History
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- $7.99
Publisher Description
In this expansive collection of history, meet ten real-life kings, queens, inventors, scholars, and visionaries who lived in Africa thousands of years ago and changed the world.
Black history begins thousands of years ago with the many cultures and people of the African continent. Through portraits of ten heroic figures, bestselling author Tracey Baptiste takes readers on an empowering, energetic journey through time to meet some of the great leaders and thinkers whose vision built nations and shaped the course of history:
Menes: Creator of Dynasties Merneith: A Queen Erased Imhotep: From Peasant to God Aesop: The Wisest Man in the Ancient World Hannibal Barca: Unparalleled Military Strategist Terence: North African Playwright Amanirenas: Warrior, Diplomat, Queen Tin Hinan: Founder of a City on the Dunes Mansa Musa: The Richest Man of All Time Queen Idia: Kingmaker
Illustrator Hillary D. Wilson's brilliant portraits accompany each profile, along with vivid, information-filled landscapes, maps, and graphics for readers to pore over and return to again and again. This rich and thrilling work, which celebrates Black excellence and provides an essential correction to Eurocentric tellings of history, will enthrall readers of all ages.
“In African Icons, Baptiste engages in the hard work of unveiling the myths about the African continent to young readers . . . This is a great beginner’s guide to pre-colonial Africa.” —Ibram X. Kendi, National Book Award-winning author of Stamped from the Beginning and How to Be an Antiracist
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
This riveting nonfiction work by Baptiste (the Jumbies series), aiming to reveal how "Africa has fueled the world," details the lives of 10 individuals, including Aesop, Merneith, Terence, and Tin Hinan, from African dynasties that are rarely mentioned in, and frequently deliberately eliminated from, world history. Interspersed passages of context convey a rich account of innovative, oft-untold breakthroughs that took place in Africa before European colonization: forming a functioning government, exporting goods such as turquoise and copper, and creating fine literature that evolved into the comedy of manners. From Menes's embodiment of the sacred god Horus to nomadic Berbers crossing the Sahara, readers will learn about events and figures with impressive legacies. For example, Hannibal Barca, a war tactician, outstrategized Rome for years using mobile units and the natural environment to his advantage, inspiring myriad military leaders. Each profile is accompanied by Wilson's lush full-color art, depicting African luminaries and kingdoms in all of their glory. Concise and well researched, this robust, historically accurate timeline of the "great continent and its people" will serve as an invaluable resource for years to come. Back matter features an author's note, source notes, and bibliography. Ages 8–12.
