Africa at the Internet Archive: Mother Crocodile

Since I started off last week with the great African writer Chinua Achebe, I thought I would start off this week with another great African writer: Birago Diop, a francophone writer from Senegal and one of the most famous members of the Pan-African literary movement known as Négritude, or "Blackness." The book is Mother Crocodile: An Uncle Amadou Tale from Senegal translated and adapted by Rosa Guy, just a click away at the Internet Archive:

The story featured in this book, "Maman-Caïman," is one that Diop learned from Amadou Koumba, his family's Wolof griot (storyteller), and it is one of the stories included in Diop's book, Les Contes d'Amadou Koumba. This book has been translated into English, but it is hard to find (I'm on the lookout for a copy!). You can find out more about Diop's remarkable life and career at Wikipedia. 

Rosa Guy was a Trinidadian American author, and she met Diop while traveling in Senegal; you can find more of Rosa Guy's books for young readers at the Archive.

The beautiful illustrations are by the artist John Steptoe:

Steptoe is best known for a book that he both wrote and illustrated, Mufaro's Beautiful Daughters: An African Tale, which is also available at the Internet Archive: 

Both Mother Crocodile and Mufaro's Beautiful Daughters were recipients of the Coretta Scott King award, and John Steptoe is one of the featured biographies in this very useful book: Coretta Scott King Award Books: Using Great Literature With Children and Young Adults by Claire Gatrell Stephens.

So, enjoy: Diop! Guy! Steptoe! So much goodness awaits you at the Internet Archive.

Mother Crocodile:

An Uncle Amadou Tale from Senegal 

by Birago Diop

Mufaro's Beautiful Daughters

by John Steptoe