A Pride of African Tales

Rating:
Summary: EXCELLENT BOOK
Review: I don't mean to take anything away from the compiler of these
tales (Donna Washington) because they are a fine group and
she does a wonderful job of retelling them. But I am a collector
of children's books and I collect with the quality of llustrations in mind. So my review is mostly about the illustrations.

James Ransome has had the happy fortune to often be associated with books of really high quality, and I would have to say that of all those that I am familiar with, this is probably his best. It is a great coming together of story, illustration, & printing that makes collecting children's books fun and satisfying.

The illustrations are vivid, lush, and provide a real sense of
place. Ransome captures the villages, the market place, the
forests & grasslands of Africa that I have found equalled only by illustrator Trina Schart Hyman.

A wonderful bonus to the book is the map in the front and
the "Story Notes and Further Reading" in the back. A perfect
book for a school library.