My spotlight today is for Ayo’s Adventure: Across the African Diaspora from Afro to Zulu written by Ain Heath Drew and illustrated by Erin Robinson. It is due for publication by Barefoot Books on Tuesday 17th September 2024 and suitable for readers 5+.

Quote

“Our ancestors come from many nations in Africa. We are still connected to them today…
Our cultures, our style, and our ways are connected to the ways of our ancestors.”
“What do you mean, Dad?”
“I’ll tell you more about this tomorrow, Ayo. Right now, it’s bedtime.”

Blurb

Join Ayo as he explores the creative and resilient cultures of his heritage.

One night, a young African American boy Ayo tumbles into an extraordinary journey across the African diaspora. From hip-hop to kente cloth, from Mansa Musa to revolution, the African diaspora has inspired the world!

Ayo’s Adventure is an A-Z introduction to the vast and powerful global concept of the dispersion of African people across the globe and offers an engaging way to explore many diverse cultures, historical figures, nations, events, and movements within the diaspora.

The wide-ranging countries and cultures represented include Trinidad and Tobago, the Dogon and Makonde people, Nigeria, Jamaica, the Bahamas, Ghana, Haiti, Mali, Ethiopia, Xhosa, Yoruba, Zulu, and more! Colourful spreads include info boxes and country labels, while thorough back-of-the-book resources deepen engagement with the story and further explore connections between the nations and traditions represented on both sides of the Atlantic.

About the Author

Ain Drew is the author of Ari J.’s Kinky, Curly Crown. She is inspired by the power of words and loves writing beautiful stories for children. As an educator, Ain uses books to expand her students’ knowledge about the world around them.

Ain lives in Atlanta, Georgia, USA, and enjoys spending time with her son, DJ, learning about different cultures around the globe, exploring new places, and reading.

Ain Heath Drew says:

“Bringing the idea for this book to life has been an adventure. I expected to teach young readers about the beauty of the African diaspora, but I didn’t anticipate how much I would learn.”

About the Illustrator

Erin K. Robinson is an Emmy-nominated illustrator trained at the Parsons School of Design and the Corcoran School of Art.

Erin’s illustrations have been featured in the New York Times and the Washington Post, and she has illustrated numerous picture books, including A Library by Nikki Giovanni. Erin splits her time between Brooklyn, NY, and Washington, DC.

Reviews

“A book brimming with affirmations of Blackness! Ayo’s Adventure is a love letter that reveals to be part of the African Diaspora is to be part of a global community of Black brilliance, Black creativity, Black resilience, Black joy” (Dr. Sonja Cherry-Paul, co-founder of the Institute for Racial Equity in Literacy)

“Structured as an ABC book (A is for Afro, B is for Braids, C is for Calypso), Ayo’s adventure takes him all around the globe . . . This is a valuable book to serve as a mirror or window for a wide variety of readers and reading levels” (School Library Journal)

“A gentle but enormously powerful introduction to the Diaspora, Ayo’s Adventure is a joyfully inventive journey that can inspire readers of all ages to explore the many ways that people of African heritage around the world are connected” (Olugbemisola Rhuday-Perkovich, author of Makeda Makes a Birthday Treat)

“As a lifelong literacy advocate, I seek out children’s books that help kids explore the world around them. Ayo’s Adventure is a journey through the sights and sounds of the African diaspora. I loved hanging out with Ayo on his adventure. I learned so much.” (LeVar Burton, Actor + Children’s Literacy Advocate)

“Ayo’s Adventure is a dreamy and illustrious stroll through Black history and culture. It is a beautiful and brilliant reminder that Blackness is both deep and wide and joyful. It is everything I would read to my three free Black children” (Dr. Kellie Carter Jackson, Ph.D, Chair of the Africana Studies Department at Wellesley College)