(4) 4-6 Ayisha wants to study Timbuktu's ancient documents; her twin brother Ahmed is proud to explain the city's history to toubabs, or tourists. When an archaeologist and his wife plot to steal manuscripts and sell them, the siblings know the thieves must be stopped. Though the slow pace detracts from the action, rich language moves the story toward a satisfying conclusion. Glos.

Reviewer: Chelsey Philpot

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Leonard Jenkins. In a small village in Ethiopia, a girl sets out to become the best beekeeper even though she's told, "That's men's work, little girl." Her determination and creativity help her succeed by finding a novel way to protect her hive from ants. The dark textured acrylic, pastel, and spray-paint illustrations set the scene in contemporary Africa. An author's note is included. Glos.

Reviewer: Maeve Visser Knoth

(3) 4-6 Namelok, a twelve-year-old Maasai girl, hopes to go to school and postpone the female circumcision and arranged marriage that are part of her tribal culture. She and her family struggle with the changes and pressures facing the Maasai in contemporary Kenya. Kessler's readable story does not shy away from complex topics.

Reviewer: Maeve Visser Knoth

(4) K-3 Illustrated by JoEllen McAllister Stammen. The true story of a Swaziland baby rhino, who was orphaned by poachers but survived by being adopted by an older female rhino, forms the basis of this somewhat sentimental book. The free verse narration suffers from a self-conscious weightiness ("Passing elephants, / their long, heavy trunks / sweeping the earth, / brought the sunrise"), but the dry pastel illustrations glow with rich savanna colors.

Reviewer: Anita L. Burkam

(4) YA When Jodie and her mother move from San Diego to Sierra Leone, lonely, anxious fourteen-year-old Jodie soon befriends Khadi, a local girl about to undergo female circumcision in a coming-of-age ceremony. The emotional and political issues surrounding female circumcision are too shallowly handled, but the general cross-cultural experience has an authentic touch. Glos.

Reviewer: Anita L. Burkam

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Walter Lyon Krudop. When a new water pump comes to her Sudanese village, Fatima is pleased, but out of loyalty she still helps her grandmother fill their baobab tree with rain for the dry season. A broken pump and water shortage convince the villagers it's best to "mix old with new." The dialogue is stilted, but the story's factual basis makes this a strong narrative, illustrated with desert-shaded oil paintings. A glossary of Arabic words is included.

Reviewer: Anita L. Burkam