Emeka's Gift: An African Counting Book

From Publishers Weekly
This unusual counting book cum photo-essay weaves into its narrative details of life among the Igala people of southern Nigeria. "One boy"-Emeka-walks to the neighboring village to visit his grandmother, wondering about a suitable gift for her. He passes various possibilities along the way ("four new brooms," the "big grown-up hats" modeled by five youngsters, etc.) and imagines how Granny might react to each one. In the end he can only share a hug with Granny, who declares that she has received "the best present of all." Using a simple framework, Onyefulu (A Is for Africa) sprinkles informative sidebars alongside her tale of Emeka's journey, enhancing the reader's understanding of a lesser-known culture. Lucid, attractively composed photographs of Igala people and their artifacts add to the book's multicultural import. Intelligently rendered and ultimately heartwarming. Ages 3-9. Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.


From Booklist
Ages 5^-7. Photographs taken in a village in southern Nigeria are assembled in a counting story. On the way to visit his grandmother, Emeka sees people and objects--in groups numbering from 2 to 10. Each spread, whether one or two pages, contains a large photo of the people or objects, together with a panel featuring the number and a description and another panel showing some larger aspect of this world. For example, along with Emeka's thoughts on the eight water pots, is a brief box with information on the importance of water and its storage during the dry season. There is a nice balance between difference and sameness here: children play games in familiar ways, even when the games aren't familiar, and, refreshingly, the emphasis is on the artifacts of daily life rather than museum pieces. Mary Harris Veeder


Midwest Book Review
This African counting story tells of Emeka, who sets off to visit his grandmother and who searches for the right gift in a market. Numbers accompany his decision-making processes and illustrate the different applications of basic counting skills in this photo-filled story.


Book Description
This is a concept book to teach and delight. As a young African boy travels to visit his grandmother, he passes through the village market, where he sees lots of things Granny would like— four brooms, five hats, six necklaces, seven musical instruments, and so on. Stunning photographs taken in Emeka's southern Nigerian village illustrate this heartwarming story. "A wonderful multidimensional story with universal appeal." — School Library Journal


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This unusual counting book cum photo-essay weaves into its narrative details of life among the Igala people of southern Nigeria. ``One boy''-Emeka-walks to the neighboring village to visit his grandmother, wondering about a suitable gift for her. He passes various possibilities along the way (``four new brooms,'' the ``big grown-up hats'' modeled by five youngsters, etc.) and imagines how Granny might react to each one. In the end he can only share a hug with Granny, who declares that she has received ``the best present of all.'' Using a simple framework, Onyefulu (A Is for Africa) sprinkles informative sidebars alongside her tale of Emeka's journey, enhancing the reader's understanding of a lesser-known culture. Lucid, attractively composed photographs of Igala people and their artifacts add to the book's multicultural import. Intelligently rendered and ultimately heartwarming. Ages 3-9. (May)


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