Is It Far to Zanzibar?: Poems About Tanzania

By Nikki Grimes

Book Overview

Thirteen masterly poems by Nikki Grimes are illustrated with piquant watercolors by Betsy Lewin. From mist-and mystery-shrouded Mount Meru, to a young girl coming home to her family's relentless... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0688131573
• ISBN13: 9780688131579
• Release Date: January 2000
• Publisher: Harpercollins Childrens Books
• Length: 32 Pages
• Weight: 0.72 lbs.
• Dimensions: 9.5" x 0.8" x 8.3"
• Age Range: 6 to 9 years
• Grade Range: Grades 1 to 4

Customer Reviews

A spicy taste of Tanzania

In "Is it Far to Zanzibar?" the poems of Nikki Grimes combine with the beautiful illustrations of Betsy Lewin to paint a portrait of the African nation of Tanzania. Many of the poems incorporate Swahili words, and a useful Swahili-English vocabulary at the end of the book adds to its educational value. Also useful is a full-page map of Tanzania which shows the location of Zanzibar Island, Mount Meru, and other important landmarks.The poems and illustrations introduce readers to the people, customs, food, animals, and geographic features of Tanzania. Grimes favors appealing, song-like rhymes in her poems. For example, "A Taste of Zanzibar" begins, "Go to Zanzibar to see / a nutmeg bush, a cashew tree." Lewin's watercolor illustrations are colorful and have an energetic grace to them. Both the poet and the illustrator seem to take great delight in their subjects. As the book progresses, we encounter a crowded bus ride, an elderly mango peddler's cheerful song, the majesty of Mount Meru, the hot peppers that spice Tanzanian food, and other African delights. This is a wonderful book for children who are interested in poetry, in the Swahili language (or foreign languages in general), or in African life and culture.