Africa South of the Sahara
South Africa
I Am You: A Book About Ubuntu
By Refiloe Moahloli, Zinelda McDonald (Illustrator)
I Am You: A Book About Ubuntu. Refiloe Moahloli. Illustrated by Zinelda McDonald. Amazon Crossing Kids, 2022. Originally published as We Are One by Pan Macmillan, in South Africa, in 2020. ISBN 9781542035668. 32 p. (Ages 5-7). Picture book.
Ubuntu is a common belief throughout southern Africa that we are all connected to one another, no matter where we are from. Stating “A person is a person through their connections to other people,” this book celebrates kindness, friendship, and peace. A 2023 USBBY Outstanding International Books List selection. [gd]
The Middle East & North Africa
Qatar
Hamda and Fisaikra
By Kaltham Al-Ghanim, Andy Smart (Translator), May Al-Mannai (Illustrator)
Hamda and Fisaikra. Kaltham Al-Ghanim. Translated by Andy Smart. Illustrated by May Al-Mannai. Hamid Bin Khalifa University Press, 2011. Originally [or possibly simultaneously] published as حمدة وفسيكرة in Arabic by Hamid Bin Khalifa University Press, in Doha, Qatar, in 2011. ISBN 9992178876. 46 p. (Ages 6-8). Picture book.
Hamda, the daughter of a fisherman, saves a fish and gains a guardian to aid her escape from her difficult and drab life in this richly illustrated Qatari version of a Cinderella story. A variation for children familiar with the Western version and looking for a twist. [ea]
Latin America
Brazil
You Can't be Too Careful!
By Roger Mello, Daniel Hahn (Translator)
You Can’t Be Too Careful! Roger Mello. Translated by Daniel Hahn. Elsewhere Editions, 2017. Originally published as Todo cuidado é pouco! in Portuguese by Companhia das Letras, Sao Paulo, Brazil, in 1999. ISBN 9780914671640. 36 p. (Ages 5-8). Picture book.
Serious questions are explored even as the reader learns how tiny actions can cause big change. A 2018 Batchelder Honor Book. Roger Mello has illustrated over 100 children's books and written more than twenty. More of his notable books can be found listed here [jm]