Tag Archives: books

A Beloved Old African and Caribbean Children’s Character Brought Back to Life

Adventures of Anansi and Sewa: Rainy Day is an adventure story for children written by Bunmi Oyinsan and illustrated by Natalia Cano. Anansi and Sewa Spider wanted to go outside and play. It was school vacation, and what better way to spend it than playing outdoors? Unfortunately, it was also a rainy day complete with thunder and lightning. What could the two young spider siblings do while they waited for it to stop raining? Anansi and Sewa looked in each room of the house, but nothing was nearly as much fun as playing outdoors. They finally decided to ask their dad if they could go outside and play in the rain. Daddy Spider said no and suggested a board game, painting, or a game of hide and seek. He offered to make them a fun lunch. Suddenly, Anansi noticed that it had stopped raining, and the clouds seemed to be going away. He wanted to go out and tried to get Sewa to go out with him — but had it really stopped raining?

Bunmi Oyinsan’s Adventures of Anansi and Sewa offers young readers an all-too-familiar scenario. School vacations are made for going outdoors and having fun, but what can you do when it’s raining? Daddy Spider has some good ideas, but sometimes going out is the only solution. What do you do then? Oyinsan’s story is a gentle reminder that sometimes going out and getting wet can be a lot of fun too, no matter how young or old you may be. This story is a grand selection for storytime and can lead to discussions of what to do on a rainy days. I also loved seeing Anansi Spider, who is a legendary folk hero in many cultures, as a young child and appreciated how spiders, which are frightening to many children, become just a bit less intimidating through exposure to them in this tale. Adventures of Anansi and Sewa is also written in a manner that makes it an excellent primer for young readers to try on their own. They’ll enjoy the bright and cheerful illustrations of artist Natalia Cano, whose panels make Anansi and Sewa come to life brilliantly. Adventures of Anansi and Sewa: Rainy Day is most highly recommended. https://readersfavorite.com/book-review/adventures-of-anansi-and-sewa

AUTHOR BIOGRAPHY

Bunmi Oyinsan has an MA from Saint Mary’s University, Halifax Nova Scotia and a PhD from York University, Canada. She has published novels in addition to several short stories in anthologies and literary journals. She has also published for young readers, including the “Legends of Africa Series” and “Fabulous Four” which was used to teach literature at the junior secondary levels in some Nigerian states. She served as the chairperson of the Association of Nigeria Authors and is the editor of a collection of short stories for the Association titled “Trembling Leaves”. Some of her works for Television include: dramas series such as ‘Owuro Lojo’, ‘Aditulaye’ and ‘We the People’ “The Golden Cage etc. She was also a regular contributor to “The Third Eye” a detective series on NTA network. Her work in the non-profit sector covered economic empowerment, capacity building, advocacy for children’s rights and women’s empowerment. She has also written stage and radio plays, written. She is a co-founder of 2 low cost schools: Lekki Peninsula College and Lekki Peninsula Nursery and Primary School which provide quality affordable education in Nigeria.

“The Little Regenerative Farmer”: A Children’s Book About Farming

Lina visits a petting zoo with her family and tells her parents she wants to start a farm. They tell her it’s a lot of work, but she persists and gets her own chickens and starts a garden. She encounters obstacles like nosey neighbors and harsh weather. But eventually, she wins everyone over and her farm grows under her love, and she achieves her dream of a bountiful farm that feeds her family and community.

Lina uses Regenerative Agriculture techniques which is a new emerging trend of how to farm in a way that is beneficial for the planet. We hear so many stories demonizing beef production but very few people know, it’s the method that’s actually the problem! Using Regenerative Ag techniques, we can sequester carbon from the atmosphere and increase food nutrition along with millions of other benefits.

Farmers like Lina face many obstacles. With this book, I hope to encourage other passionate people who may be considering committing to life as a farmer to not let others’ opinions keep them from doing something that is so important to humanity and the environment. It truly is a book that can motivate any aspiring regenerative farmers and all children who have big dreams.

If you’d like to see some more info about the book, please visit the website here.

ABCs of Racing – A Kid’s Series about Racing

ABCs of Racing teaches concepts about racing with Red Racer as your guide. Full of gorgeous illustrations, the pages are inspired by actual tracks and racing situations around the world, to engage both kids and parents. This is not your ordinary ABC book!

  • 34 vividly illustrated pages that follow the alphabet with explanations for each new racing term!
  • Great for kids of many ages, particularly for 3-8 year olds.
  • Easy to introduce concepts and terms around car racing for your kids, but fun for adults, too!
  • Available in both English and Spanish versions, with over 10 different definitions and images across the two.

Preorders are available at http://redracerkickstarter.com/ .  The Kickstarter just launched on 2.22.22 and were already awarded a “Project we Love” badge.  They are close to 50% funded with 26 days to go. The books go for $20 each but there are plenty of cool custom rewards and add-ons too you will want to check out. 

Andy, the author, with his two biggest fans!

Make sure you check out these cool books today! http://redracerkickstarter.com/