Kente Colors

From Publishers Weekly
The traditional kente cloth of the Ashante people of Ghana stretches to become the stuff of story hour. The cloth's vivid tones (red, yellow, blue, black and gold) are explored for their symbolic values and matched with scenes from African and African American culture and daily life. A spread devoted to "emerald kente," symbolizing a bountiful harvest, shows colorfully garbed characters reaping fruit. Indigo blue is the color of African skies, sheltering a lone shepherd and his flock. This latter choice may confuse some readers, however, as Chocolate (On the Day I Was Born) specifies in a preface that blue represents "love." Ward's (The Adventures of High John the Conqueror) high-intensity hues and kente-patterned borders suit the subject matter like a custom-made, bright silk kente robe. Ages 4-8. Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal
PreSchool-Grade 3?A richly illustrated book that celebrates the tradition and use of the African kente cloth. The simple, rhyming text describes the multiplicity of colors used and the numerous ways the Ashanti of Ghana and the Ewe of Ghana and Togo incorporate the fabric into their daily lives. In an endnote, Chocolate explains the weaving process and the colors' meanings. Ward's lush paintings are wonderful. Deep blues, bright reds, blacks, golds, and purples fairly leap off the pages. This book is important in that it is the first to convey an understanding of kente cloth's history and cultural significance for a young audience.?Carol Jones Collins, Montclair Kimberley Academy, NJCopyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist
Ages 4^-8. In brilliant poster colors, this picture book celebrates the kente cloth made by the Ashante people of Ghana and the Ewe of Ghana and Togo. A fascinating author's note explains the history and traditions of the cloth, how it is handwoven in strips and stitched together, and the symbolic meanings of its colors and patterns. Then a minimal rhyming text and bold, smiling pictures illustrate the dominant colors and show the cloth being worn in daily life and in ceremonial activities, in Africa and in the West, "for generations young and old." The endpapers frame the book in bright, beautiful kente patterns. Hazel Rochman

Card catalog description
A rhyming description of the kente cloth costumes of the Ashanti and Ewe people of Ghana and a portrayal of the symbolic colors and patterns.


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PreS-Gr 3A richly illustrated book that celebrates the tradition and use of the African kente cloth. The simple, rhyming text describes the multiplicity of colors used and the numerous ways the Ashanti of Ghana and the Ewe of Ghana and Togo incorporate the fabric into their daily lives. In an endnote, Chocolate explains the weaving process and the colors' meanings. Ward's lush paintings are wonderful. Deep blues, bright reds, blacks, golds, and purples fairly leap off the pages. This book is important in that it is the first to convey an understanding of kente cloth's history and cultural significance for a young audience.Carol Jones Collins, Montclair Kimberley Academy, NJ


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