jjares reviewed on 1/31/2021 + 3292 more book reviews

This book is written for youngsters between 8 and 12 years. Having recently read about the Mali ruler of fabulous wealth, Mansa Musa, I was eager to learn more about the country and its people. The artwork adds so much to the understanding of the text. I was glad the author explained new words in the text (a separate glossary is provided at the end). It was fascinating to learn how the Mali Empire solved the problem of no written language (in their own way).

As someone considerably older than the intended age this book is written for, I would like to comment on the print size. To get it to a good reading font size, I have to stretch the print a great deal. Most of the attending illustration is lost when I stretch the page on my tablet. When I first looked at the font, I was really disappointed. Fortunately, by using a tablet, I am able to make adaptations.

I really liked that the author touched on all aspects of Mali culture and life, including daily life, clothing, family, food, religion, and more. This is the kind of information children would be interested in learning about other cultures.

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