ABC Book: 9 Degrees North:
The ABC’s of North Ghana
$20
The Tools for Schools Africa Foundation has produced this beautiful book as a fundraiser for their projects in Ghana. I highly recommend it; it is truly a beautiful book.
Tools for Schools Africa Foundation is a registered Canadian charity based in Red Deer. Their focus has been to stock libraries and distribute School supplies and educate local teachers in Ghana. This is a thoroughly worthwhile endeavor with a very “local” flavour.
The book is bright and colourful with original Art from many artists. Each letter of the alphabet is illustrated with a Ghanian theme, so the book is not just for little children but can be enjoyed by those of any age.
The first letter A — is for Africa itself. The artwork on this page grabs you and pulls you into the heart of the country. Here is the lion, giraffe, rhino and the elephant in glowing sun-filled amber. The text says . . . “our favourite country in West Africa is Ghana . . . our favourite village, is Damongo (which) is nine degrees north of the equator.” Hence the title of this book.
This is followed by B for bolga baskets, C for cloth and (one of my favourites) D for drums and dancing.
Elephants and elders are celebrated under E, and the passion of Ghanians, F is for football (we call it soccer). If they don’t have a soccer ball, and many of them don’t, they fashion plastic bags into a ball shape and use that to play the game.
If you should decide to support this cause, $20 will buy you a book, and $30 will send a book to Ghana along with a soccer ball! What a deal!
G is for Ghana itself, and H has happy purple hippos in and out of the blue/green water. The text says that hippos are protected in Wenchau Sanctuary. This book is not just for looking, though that’s a treat, it educates you along the way.
So we go through the alphabet with a variety of art styles featuring lots of colour and (almost) noise. Can you hear the M for Market with its “cacophony of sounds?”
When we get to the letter T, the traffic is almost too much! What’s this? A goat on the hood of the car, a boy with a soccer ball riding on the top of the load of a Scooter! What fun!
The art turns cool and zany for X. What else could it be but xylophone? This instrument is also known as a “balafon” or “gyil” in this case, played by a very personable lion.
At the end of this charming book, we get more information suggested by each letter, and information about the artists.
Proceeds from this book will support the education of gifted Ghanaian girls, many are already on their way. In the future these girls may well be leaders in their communities. More information on this project is available from www.9degreesnorthproject.wordpress.com.
Peggy Freeman is a freelance writer living in Red Deer.