Songs from the Baobab
African Lullabies & Nursery Rhymes
9782923163796
52 pages
Secret Mountain, The
Overview
An homage to the rich cultural heritage of faraway communities featuring 29 traditional songs.
Warm sunsets, family mealtimes, laughter, and motherhood are woven into the music that creates this picture book’s unique ambience. This enchanting collection of traditional lullabies and nursery rhymes from 10 countries across Central and West Africa—including Rwanda, the Ivory Coast, and Senegal—soothes babies to sleep as they travel from one place to another. Themes of motherhood, childhood, and cultural heritage come to life in lavish illustrations and 29 songs performed in 11 languages.
Lyrics appear transcribed in their original language and translated into English, followed by extensive notes on the cultural background of each song. The musical picture book is accompanied by a CD featuring 29 songs recorded by an ensemble of local musicians with indigenous acoustic instruments.
WINNER OF THE CHILDREN’S AFRICANA NOTABLE BOOK AWARD, PARENTS’ CHOICE RECOMMENDED AWARD, AND MORE
Author Bio
Chantal Grosléziat has devoted over three decades to researching how children are affected by music. As an educator and musician, her work includes the award-winning CD collection, Contes et berceuses (Stories and Lullabies), and the series, Bébés chasseurs des sons (Babies Are Sound Hunters). Elodie Nouhen Elodie Nouhen honed her creative talent at the Ecole Supérieure d’arts graphiques Penninghen in Paris. She has worked for many years as an illustrator, having published more than 30 children’s books that have been translated into several languages, including Sleep Softly, Songs from the Baobab, and My Music Box.
