Note: I accessed a digital review copy of this book through Edelweiss. ( )

Refrain: "Don't care where you come from, as long as you're a black man, you're an African". Song was written in 1977 in Jamaica, for solo record, "Equal Rights" which is considered one of the most influential reggae works of all time.

African: A Children's Picture Book is part of the LyricPop series from Akashic Books. This volume combines the lyrics of the classic Peter Tosh song and drawings from Rachel Moss. I came to this series unsure how I might respond, the songs/books I have read are from my youth and trying to imagine them as picture books was difficult. Much of each review of these books will be the same with the exception of the part specific to the book. So...

I was very pleasantly surprised. The story here, such as it is, is about knowing who you are and all that we all have in common. This was written during a turbulent time as a reminder that everyone was part of the same community. That message is as vital today as it was then. The age range for the series is stated as 0-7 so we are talking about a book that is going to be interactive between a child, a reader (usually imagined as a parent), and the book. As such, I think this will be a fun experience for everyone. The story is uplifting and positive and offers many opportunities for the reader to explain ideas ranging from our many commonalities to the superficiality of the ways we divide ourselves (nationality, denomination, skin tone). This book also lends itself at the higher end of the age range to beginning to grasp world geography and cultures.

It has been a long time since my children were this age so I am imaging how I might have used it. I remember "dancing" around my living room with my daughter listening to music when she was barely able to walk, so this is the child I am picturing in my mind. I think I might read the book a time or two first before introducing her to the song, let her get the words into her mind but using a singsong voice while reading it, to the tune of the song. Then play the song for her so that she can hear the song in her mind while we read the book. I'm not sure there is a right or wrong way to use the book but I think this is how I would do so.

I would recommend this book to any parents (or in my case grandparents) who want to make story time something more than just reading a story straight through, especially stories created with additional marketing in mind. This is simple, uses the imagination, and develops an appreciation of music (rather than appreciation of ever more toys).

Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via Edelweiss. ( )