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History is meant to be shared, both its triumphs and its struggles.
A book children should read or have read to them is "This Is the Dream" by Diane Z. Shore and Jessica Alexander (Amistad, $15.99). In rhymes, with gorgeous paintings and collages by James Ransome, the book details the lives of African Americans before, during and after the civil rights movement and the power of nonviolence to accomplish change.
One of the lesser-known figures of the civil rights movement, Westley Wallace Law, gets his due with "Delivering Justice: W.W. Law and the Fight for Civil Rights" by Jim Haskins and illustrated by Benny Andrews (Candlewick, $16.99). Growing up in Savannah, Ga., Law was encouraged to make a difference. Because of his nonviolent efforts, Savannah became the first city in the South to outlaw racial discrimination.
In the 1930s, the celebrated author Zora Neale Hurston collected stories from the people she met in the Gulf states, stories that preserved the humor and spirit of oral traditions. "The Six Fools," adapted by Joyce Carol Thomas from a story collected by Hurston with folk-art style illustrations by Ann Tanksley (HarperCollins, $15.99), tells the tale of a man who's bewildered by the foolishness he sees in his bride-to-be and her parents. He goes out to find three bigger fools. If he does, he'll return to marry the woman.
A reminder that childhood rituals are universal is "I Lost My Tooth in Africa." Written by 12-year-old Penda Diakite when she was 8, the book is based on her younger sister's experience with a loose tooth while they were visiting family members in Mali. If a child puts her tooth beneath a gourd, the African tooth fairy may exchange it for two chickens. The book paints a portrait of everyday life in Mali, including sleeping in a bamboo bed, preparing a favorite meal with an aunt and waking up to receive blessings from a grandma. There is much to learn and the glossary, recipe and lullaby in the back help. This delightful story is illustrated by Penda's award-winning father, Bab Wague Diakite (Scholastic, $16.99).
Even grown-ups will realize how much they don't know about Africa once they read "Fandex Family Field Guides: Africa: People, Places, and Cultures" by Alex Katis (Workman Publishing, $9.95). It's a great introduction to the 54 countries in the vibrant, diverse continent of Africa. Each eye-catching die-cut page features a country, statistics including population, religion and languages, a brief history, a map and colorful photos.
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(c) 2006, Detroit Free Press. Distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune News Service.
