From School Library Journal
Grade 2-4?A young Ashanti boy invites readers to visit his West African village, famous for fine kente cloth, and to share his "magic"?a masterful imagination. Artistic typesetting composition is accompanied by appealing color photos that bring the lyrical text into sharp focus. Kofi is an engaging scamp whose vivid "daydreams" that transport him to other places will speak to children everywhere and present them with a clear vision of his beloved West African world. Kofi's joy in his life is reflected in both text and pictorial content and will be an eye-opener to more materialistic children in technically developed environments. A winner.?Patricia Manning, formerly at Eastchester Public Library, NY
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.
--This text refers to the
Hardcover
edition.
From Booklist
Ages 6^-9. As in the poet and photographer's
My Painted House,
My Friendly Chicken, and Me (1995), this second picture-book collaboration about Africa has great photographs but a disappointing text. The narrator is Kofi, a seven-year-old West African boy who uses "magic" to move from his hometown to a jitney, then to a place "up north. Kofi, whose magic comes from closing his eyes and opening his mind, is an engaging tour guide, but the lack of specifics about the setting is perplexing. What country does Kofi live in? What language does he speak? And the story line about magic is a flop. However, if you want to know what West Africa looks like, take a look at the vibrantly striking photographs. You'll see a bustling marketplace, powerful men and women decorated in their richest gold, and people of all ages wearing colorful
kente cloth. Although there isn't much of a story here, this is a positive and realistic visual portrait.
Julie Corsaro
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
