(2) YA In the aftermath of her mother's death, fourteen-year-old Mati and her family struggle to cope with their grief. Baba, Mati's father, has trouble connecting with his three children. Seventeen-year-old Chichi rebels and engages in risky behavior. Ten-year-old Tana craves attention and a return to the way life used to be. Mati is quiet and introspective, saying little. To help his family heal, Baba takes them from England on a camping adventure in the family's home country of Zimbabwe. On the trip, Mati begins to share an extended story about her life, including the challenges of navigating two cultures, with Meticais, a flamboyant figure whom only she can see and hear. Meticais, through their engaging repartee and provocative probes, helps Mati begin to process what she has been through, building to a compelling twist. Musariri compassionately and eloquently conveys the complexities of loss and love in an absorbing, intriguing story anchored by charismatic characters.

Reviewer: Pauletta Brown Bracy | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2023

(4) K-3 Seeking Refuge series. Illustrated by Karl Hammond. Each book offers a first-person account of a refugee child's separation from family due to hardship or war: Ali leaves Afghanistan with his grandma as his parents stay behind, while Juliane endures a painful separation from her mother in Zimbabwe before they leave the country together. Despite the odd, sometimes disjointed digital images, simple storytelling makes these texts relatable to young readers. Review covers these Seeking Refuge titles: Ali's Story and Juliane's Story.

Reviewer: Kristy Pasquariello

(4) K-3 Photographs by Brent Stapelkamp. Photographs by Cecil the lion's former "keeper" elevate this text, which refreshingly focuses on Cecil's life and not his tragic death. Particular attention is paid to his unusual alliance with a rival to share their territory. While sometimes heavy-handed, the book may spark discussion about conservation and hunting. Back matter includes facts about lions, the Hwange National Park, and the aftermath of Cecil's death.

Reviewer: Russell Perry

(4) YA With Liz Welch. Seventh grader Caitlin selects a pen pal from Zimbabwe, the most exotic place she has heard of. Caitlin and Martin correspond for six years, building a friendship and trust that widens Caitlin's world view and allows Martin to be honest about his incredible challenges. Told in alternating voices, their story would have been more compelling with stronger editing. Photos are appended.

Reviewer: Gail Hedges

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Derek Sullivan. In this retelling of a Shona folktale from Zimbabwe, Zuva learns never to make a promise she can't keep after inviting a boisterous crocodile to a party in exchange for a favor. Zany, slick digital illustrations picture a fluorescent jungle setting for the cautionary tale. Multicolored font emphasizes the crocodile's refrain: "Party! Party! Going to a party / Party! Party! I'm a PARTY CROC!"

Reviewer: Sheila M. Geraty

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Jan Spivey Gilchrist. As a child in war-torn Rhodesia, the author wishes to go to school like her brothers. As an adult, she works hard to earn several degrees in America, afterward returning to Zimbabwe to make education possible for other girls. Illustrated with Gilchrist's emotive full-spread watercolors, this tale of passionate persistence reveals a different culture but a universal human-rights issue.

Reviewer: Anita L. Burkam

(2) YA Wilhelmina, daughter of William Silver, white foreman of the Two Tree Hill Farm in Zimbabwe, leads a "wildcat" life. This idyll ends abruptly and tragically with her father's death from malaria, after which she's shipped off to boarding school in England. Rundell's finely drawn etchings of the people in Will's sphere and rich descriptions of African colonial farm life sprawl across the pages.

Reviewer: Anita L. Burkam | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2014

(2) YA Formerly middle-class but made destitute by Zimbabwe's runaway inflation, Patson and his father are forced to become diamond miners. With so much money at stake, the diamond fields are a brutal place--even more so when President Mugabe's army takes over diamond production. Structured around the 2008 Marange diamond field massacre, this is a tale of grim inhumanity told through an optimistic protagonist.

Reviewer: Anita L. Burkam | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2015

(2) YA In Zimbabwe in the 1980s, tension between blacks and whites runs high. At his mostly white boarding school, thirteen-year-old Robert Jacklin goes along with bully Ivan's racist slurs and cruel pranks because doing so offers protection from hazing. But when Ivan's plans take a deadly turn, Jacklin must decide where he stands. Questions resonate even after the character makes his harrowing choice.

Reviewer: Anita L. Burkam | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2011

(2) YA The brutal massacre by government soldiers of his small Zimbabwe village sends fourteen-year-old soccer devotee Deo and his mentally disabled older brother, Innocent, fleeing to South Africa. There Deo is invited to join the soccer team that will represent South Africa in the Street Soccer World Cup. This incisive portrait of sub-Saharan Africa is a compelling mix of suspense, sports, and social injustice.

Reviewer: Jonathan Hunt | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2011

(3) 4-6 In 1964 Rhodesia, missionary's son Evan is torn between his white schoolmates, with their anti-black beliefs, and his African sahwira (dear friend), Blessing. Blessing, son of the Mission's pastor, tries to live a Christian life but prickles when whites treat Africans like servants. Alternating chapters describe Rhodesia's budding chimurenga (liberation war) from each boy's perspective. This affecting story raises thoughtful questions. Glos.

Reviewer: Laura A. Woollett

(4) 4-6 Martine (The White Giraffe, Dolphin Song) travels to Zimbabwe, where she becomes involved in fighting both treasure hunters and a shady safari organizer in order to help save a mysterious leopard. Magic, healers, animal telepathy, and more make for exciting adventures, albeit with rather predictable and convenient resolutions.

Reviewer: Lauren Aimonette LIang

(4) YA Dictatorships series. Mugabe, once a proud symbol of African self-rule, became notorious as a corrupt, brutal dictator and bankrupted a once wealthy nation. The dense text gives historical background before exploring Mugabe's rule in greater depth. Bold, blocky design includes well-placed sidebars and photographs. Thorough backmatter includes a "Who's Who?" Reading list, timeline, websites. Bib., glos., ind.

Reviewer: Amy Lois Cohn

(4) K-3 Count Your Way series. Illustrated by Janie Jaehyun Park. After a brief introduction to the country, the authors translate the numbers one through ten, including culturally relevant but randomly presented items: "Two favorite foods in Zimbabwe are sadza and nyama." Each spread includes a colorful if fairly amateurish painting as backdrop in addition to the Arabic numeral, its spelling and pronunciation in Shona, and an explanatory paragraph.

Reviewer: Melinda Greenblatt

(4) 4-6 Visual Geography series. Color photographs, maps, and sidebars combine with a dry but informative text to provide a comprehensive study of the geography, history, government, people, culture, and economy of these two African countries. A website maintained by the publisher offers additional up-to-date information for the report-driven reader. Reading list, timeline. Bib., glos., ind. Review covers these Visual Geography titles: Zimbabwe in Pictures and Ethiopia in Pictures.

Reviewer: Tamara DePasquale

(3) 4-6 Cultures of the World series. A profusion of sharp photographs combine with readable texts in these updated editions to provide a solid base of information on the geography, history, government, and lifestyles of five African countries. The books present each country with its own unique blend of economic, political, and social challenges, and include recipes and a timeline comparing world events with national events. Reading list, websites. Bib., glos., ind. Review covers these Cultures of the World titles: Libya, Nigeria, Kenya, South Africa, and Zimbabwe.

Reviewer: Christina Dorr

(3) K-3 Illustrated in watercolors, this charming story relates an African city-girl's visit to a bush village. Readers get a look at subsistence farming in a dry country and get to hear a snippet of a folktale. Most fascinating is the girl's grandmother (based on a real person), who sculpts mud animals and paints her house with available pigments, turning the village into a huge folk-art exhibit until the rains come to renew the canvas. Glos.

Reviewer: Anita L. Burkam

(4) 4-6 First Book: African Civilizations series. Clearly written books look at the archaeological sites, social and religious beliefs, art forms, and significant historical figures related to each civilization. The legacies and, when appropriate, contemporary life of these peoples are briefly discussed. Captioned color photographs (some of which are poorly reproduced), archival portraits, maps, and time lines are included in each presentation. Bib., glos., ind.

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