I Lost My Tooth in Africa
Author: Penda Diakite
Illustrator: Baba Wague Diakite
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Year of Publication: 2006
Genre: Auto Biography
Horn Book or Kirkus Reviews rating: Horn Book (2)
Summary: Amina wants to loose her tooth while she is away from home in Africa so the African tooth fairy can come. She wants to see what the African tooth fairy will bring to her.
Summary of Professional Reviews: Instead of children wanting money from the tooth fairy, the children in Africa want chickens that have eggs. When Amina visits her family in Mali, she looses her tooth only to find out that the African tooth fairy did bring her two different chickens that have eggs that are ready to hatch. This book is illustrated very well. Baba shows the many landscapes of Africa through his drawings. Horn says "his book combines child appeal with a glimpse of family life." There is a recipe for a special African sauce toward the end of the book that is great for children to use.
Summary by Katie Henderson: This book is a great book to read to younger children to widen their cultural views. When most people think of the tooth fairy, they think of getting money under their pillows, but in this book it shows that in Africa, children wish for chickens. Once Amina looses her tooth, she is overjoyed and excited when she sees the chickens with their eggs. The illustrations in this book are impeccable, and they really showcase the way that Africa looks. I love the fact that this is a true story. It makes the characters more believable and would make a young child love to explore different cultures.
This book would be useful when teaching...children about different cultures. This could tie into a lesson about how different cultures celebrate different holidays. Even though loosing your tooth is not a holiday, it can still relate to a celebration. Another lesson that this can relate to is one about geography. Of course, the story takes place in Mali. This book can help children remember where Mali is located on a map. Finally, this book has different languages in it. The children can explore not only the language in this story, but many different languages spoken in Africa.
Illustrator: Baba Wague Diakite
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Year of Publication: 2006
Genre: Auto Biography
Horn Book or Kirkus Reviews rating: Horn Book (2)
Summary: Amina wants to loose her tooth while she is away from home in Africa so the African tooth fairy can come. She wants to see what the African tooth fairy will bring to her.
Summary of Professional Reviews: Instead of children wanting money from the tooth fairy, the children in Africa want chickens that have eggs. When Amina visits her family in Mali, she looses her tooth only to find out that the African tooth fairy did bring her two different chickens that have eggs that are ready to hatch. This book is illustrated very well. Baba shows the many landscapes of Africa through his drawings. Horn says "his book combines child appeal with a glimpse of family life." There is a recipe for a special African sauce toward the end of the book that is great for children to use.
Summary by Katie Henderson: This book is a great book to read to younger children to widen their cultural views. When most people think of the tooth fairy, they think of getting money under their pillows, but in this book it shows that in Africa, children wish for chickens. Once Amina looses her tooth, she is overjoyed and excited when she sees the chickens with their eggs. The illustrations in this book are impeccable, and they really showcase the way that Africa looks. I love the fact that this is a true story. It makes the characters more believable and would make a young child love to explore different cultures.
This book would be useful when teaching...children about different cultures. This could tie into a lesson about how different cultures celebrate different holidays. Even though loosing your tooth is not a holiday, it can still relate to a celebration. Another lesson that this can relate to is one about geography. Of course, the story takes place in Mali. This book can help children remember where Mali is located on a map. Finally, this book has different languages in it. The children can explore not only the language in this story, but many different languages spoken in Africa.