Product Description

With full-color photographs. Now in paperback, My Painted House, My

Friendly Chicken, and Me is the enchanting story of an eight-year-old girl

named Thandi, her village, her mischievous brother, her best friend--a

chicken--and the remarkable mural art that is produced by the Ndebele women.

With over seventy photographs of the reclusive Ndebele women and their

breathtaking paintings, My Painted House, My Friendly Chicken, and Me

documents the passing of traditions from parent to child while introducing

young readers to a new culture through a new friend. "Angelou's prose, like the

art, is unlike what you've seen before" (Chicago Tribune). "Poet

Angelou's impish narrative and Margaret Courtney-Clarke's ravishing photos

create an entrancing vision...." (Entertainment Weekly). To be published

simultaneously with Kofi and His Magic, a new hardcover collaborative

effort by Angelou and Courtney-Clarke.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1031668 in Books
• Published on: 1996-11-05
• Released on: 1996-11-05
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 44 pages

From School Library Journal
Grade 2-4?A young Ashanti boy invites readers to visit his West African village, famous for fine kente cloth, and to share his "magic"?a masterful imagination. Artistic typesetting composition is accompanied by appealing color photos that bring the lyrical text into sharp focus. Kofi is an engaging scamp whose vivid "daydreams" that transport him to other places will speak to children everywhere and present them with a clear vision of his beloved West African world. Kofi's joy in his life is reflected in both text and pictorial content and will be an eye-opener to more materialistic children in technically developed environments. A winner.?Patricia Manning, formerly at Eastchester Public Library, NY
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist
Ages 6^-9. As in the poet and photographer's My Painted House, My Friendly Chicken, and Me (1995), this second picture-book collaboration about Africa has great photographs but a disappointing text. The narrator is Kofi, a seven-year-old West African boy who uses "magic" to move from his hometown to a jitney, then to a place "up north. Kofi, whose magic comes from closing his eyes and opening his mind, is an engaging tour guide, but the lack of specifics about the setting is perplexing. What country does Kofi live in? What language does he speak? And the story line about magic is a flop. However, if you want to know what West Africa looks like, take a look at the vibrantly striking photographs. You'll see a bustling marketplace, powerful men and women decorated in their richest gold, and people of all ages wearing colorful kente cloth. Although there isn't much of a story here, this is a positive and realistic visual portrait. Julie Corsaro

From the Inside Flap
With full-color photographs. Now in paperback, My Painted House, My Friendly Chicken, and Me is the enchanting story of an eight-year-old girl named Thandi, her village, her mischievous brother, her best friend--a chicken--and the remarkable mural art that is produced by the Ndebele women. With over seventy photographs of the reclusive Ndebele women and their breathtaking paintings, My Painted House, My Friendly Chicken, and Me documents the passing of traditions from parent to child while introducing young readers to a new culture through a new friend. "Angelou's prose, like the art, is unlike what you've seen before" (Chicago Tribune). "Poet Angelou's impish narrative and Margaret Courtney-Clarke's ravishing photos create an entrancing vision...." (Entertainment Weekly). To be published simultaneously with Kofi and His Magic, a new hardcover collaborative effort by Angelou and Courtney-Clarke.  

Customer Reviews

Magical children's book
This book provides readers of all ages with a wonderful look into the life of Kofi, a "magician" from Bonwire. The children I have shared it with love it, and Kofi's magic serves as a reminder for all of us of the power of imagination. The photographs are rich, and the text is soothing. Look no further for a book that will put you in the mood to daydream.

Close Your Eyes and Open Your Mind - As you read this book!
This is an excellent book to read to children at bedtime or during storytime at school or church. It's a short, easy read and it's full of excellent information about the history and culture of Western Africa. Don't be fooled by the title. This book has nothing to do with black magic; and everything to do with using ones own imagination. The storyline is rooted in reality as the main character enjoys his "travels" to other places; however he always wants to return home to the people he loves. The beautiful photographs in this book make it a great coffee table book as well. I encourage you to introduce the children in your family or neighborhood to Kofi and His Magic.