When browsing the children's picture book section at the library, I was drawn to the illustration on the front cover featuring a herd of zebra. As I flipped through the pages, I noticed beautiful illustrations featuring animals of Africa. After reading the story, I think this book is a fine piece of multicultural children's literature.
First Come the Zebra by Lynne Barasch begins by describing the great migration in Kenya. First come the zebra, then the wildebeest, then the gazelle. The animals share the land and each animal eats what it needs. Then we meet Abaani, a young Maasai boy. He is cattle herder. On his walk, he encounters a Kikuyu boy named Haki. The boys realize that they are from tribes that often disagree. However, when a baby wanders away into danger, the boys help each other to save the day. Eventually, the boys become friends. The boys agree to share their goods with each other, and hope that one day their families will do the same.
At the end of the story, the author includes a map of Africa and Kenya, as well as an information page. The author shares that her family visited Kenya, inspiring this book. She explains the conflicts between the Maasai and Kikuyu (with pronunciation guides) and how the youth of the country have become hope for the future. In addition, there is information about mancala, an ancient game played by the boys in the story. Indeed, authors write what they know.
I particularly like how the author uses the analogy of the grazing animals sharing the land in this story. The goal for the boys is for both of their tribes to live on and use the land in harmony. This book teaches a valuable lesson while giving reader's a taste of Kenya. First Come the Zebra would find use in a classroom unit on Africa, or animals of Africa. The illustrations of the terrain and animals are beautifully done, and would serve as great supplemental material for such a unit.
