A Stork in a Baobab Tree: An African Twelve Days of Christmas
illustrated by Polly Alakija
Interest age: 5 to 8
Reading age: 7+
Published by Frances Lincoln Children’s Books, 2015
About this book
This African Christmas tale is based on the traditional carol The Twelve Days of Christmas. It takes the reader on an exploration of African village life during the festive season.
Each line of the song incorporates traditions and objects from across Africa: from Botswana to Zimbabwe. An informative paragraph on every page explains different aspects of African life, such as the woven baskets from Ethiopia, used to serve festive food, and the bright khangas, which are traditional multi-use garments worn by many women.
The warm, earthy tones of the illustrations complement the text, creating an interesting, atmospheric book, which would be particularly useful in schools when exploring how different people celebrate religious festivals.
First published in 2011, the 2015 edition is a new release in paperback.
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