Review by Booklist Review
Freeman connects fashion, geography, and culture through this vibrantly illustrated addition to the Macy's World picture-book series. In this story, Macy, a young Black girl, arrives at school, and she is taken by her teacher's purple-and-green dress. Miss Brown explains that its pattern is West African, which gives Macy the idea of having everyone dress from a different African country. The next week, Miss Brown and her students--all but one boy are brown skinned--enter the classroom in brightly colored traditional outfits from Kenya, Ghana, Angola, Ethiopia, Namibia, Rwanda, Cameroon, and Nigeria. This is a unique teaching tool to help young readers learn about what clothing is worn in different regions of Africa, with names of countries, peoples, and clothing items (e.g., Agbada, Herero, Tutsi) bolded in blue. Macy, herself, dons a rich-blue dress and beaded necklace to reflect Igbo fashion in Nigeria. While a map of Africa makes partial appearances, readers may want to refer to one of the entire continent, so that they can identify the many countries mentioned. A quick but enriching survey.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
Macy proposes to celebrate African heritage in a very visible way. A little brown-skinned Black girl with two Afro puffs, Macy greets her teacher, Miss Brown, and compliments her dress. Miss Brown, who is also Black, identifies the fabric as typical of West Africa. When Macy suggests that her classmates each wear an outfit from a different African country, Miss Brown loves the idea. The following week, Miss Brown points to Kenya on an African map as Naomi models a Kenyan Masai dress made with red shuka cloth and colorful beaded necklaces. Macy's classmates wear Ghanaian Ashanti kente cloth; Angolan, Namibian and Ethiopian garb; a Nigerian ceremonial outfit, the agbada; a Rwandan Tutsi warrior's clothing; and a Cameroonian elephant mask with matching outfit. Macy arrives late with a special surprise that makes everyone smile. Freeman's colorful, detailed illustrations represent children with different hairstyles and skin tones, including one with albinism. A richer story would have given the children personal connections with the countries they represent. But even lacking that, this wonderful display of traditional clothing encourages readers to appreciate diversity within Africa and will spark interest in learning about the origins of these beautiful, colorful fabrics and the people who wear them, since clothing expresses culture in so many ways. (This book was reviewed digitally.) A beautifully illustrated Afrocentric story that inspires as it informs. (Picture book. 4-7) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
