For You are a Kenyan Child

For You are a Kenyan Child

Written by Kelly Cunnane

Illustrated by Ana Juan

Simon and Schuster Children’s Publishing, 2006.

32 Pages

Multicultural (Kenyan) 

          This book blends English and Swahili to tell the story of a Kenyan child whose mama sends him to the pasture to take care of his grandfather’s cows. He gets distracted on the way and visits his neighbors in the village. He visits the owner of the tea shop, the black monkeys all around, the wood shop, the chief and his grandmother to name of a few. Once he reaches his grandmother, he realizes that he has forgotten the cows and now they are gone. When he reaches the pasture, he sees his grandfather waiting on him. His grandfather hands him his cow switch and they head home. This story shows that the life of a Kenyan child is very different from the life of an American child, but they still share many similarities. They both have families, friends, and chores to do! 

          The illustrations in this book are created with acrylic and crayon. The bright illustrations capture the happy personality of the Kenyan child as well as the Kenyan people. The book is a large square and the illustrations are single page, double page, as well as vignettes. The book uses informal text placement throughout. The illustrations are very detailed and feature smooth and jagged line. The cover is a wrap-around cover featuring the Kenyan child lying on top of the cow. The illustrations are inviting and make me wish I was in Kenya!

          This book would be great to use when learning about Africa. Students could create a Venn Diagram, comparing their life to the life of the Kenyan child. Students could write about their day to reflect the life of an American child. The students could also illustrate their writing using paint and crayons. I would recommend this book for students in kindergarten through fourth grade. This book has not received any awards.