Representing Africa in Children's Literature

<p><em>Representing Africa in Children’s Literature</em> explores how African and Western authors portray youth in contemporary African societies, critically examining the dominant images of Africa and Africans in books published between 1960 and 2005. The book focuses on contemporary children’s and young adult literature set in Africa, examining issues regarding colonialism, the politics of representation, and the challenges posed to both "insiders" and "outsiders" writing about Africa for children. </p> <p></p><p>Introduction: </p><p></p><p>Children’s Literature and Africa</p><p></p><p>Section 1: Image-making and Children’s Books</p><p></p><p>Chapter 1</p><p></p><p>Images of West Africa in Children’s Books: Replacing Old Stereotypes with New Ones?</p><p></p><p>Chapter 2</p><p></p><p>Illustrations and the Messages they convey: African Culture in Picture Books.</p><p></p><p>Chapter 3</p><p></p><p>The Typical West African Village Stories.</p><p></p><p>Section 2: Growing Up African and Female in Children’s Books</p><p></p><p>Chapter 4</p><p></p><p>Religion and Childhood in Two African Communities: Ogot’s The Rain Came and Adichie’s Purple Hibiscus.</p><p></p><p>Chapter 5</p><p></p><p>Revising Traditional Cultural Practices in Two Picture Book Versions of African Folktales.</p><p></p><p>Chapter 6</p><p></p><p>African Girls’ Sexuality in Selected Fiction for Young Adults</p><p></p><p>Chapter 7</p><p></p><p>Individual Healing vs. Communal Healing: Three African Females’ Attempts at Constructing Unique Identities.</p><p></p><p>Section 3: Reading African Cultural Survival in Children’s Books</p><p></p><p>Chapter 8</p><p></p><p>Reading Images of Resistance in Tom Feelings’ The Middle Passage.</p><p></p><p>Chapter 9</p><p></p><p>African Sites of Memory in Diasporic Children’s Literature.</p><p></p><p>Afterword</p><p></p><p>Chapter 10</p><p></p><p>When Illustrations by Africans Lack Visual Appeal, How Should African Readers React?</p><p></p><p>Chapter 11</p><p></p><p>Authenticity, Hybridity and Literature about African Children</p>