Africa Is Not a Country

  • Interest Level: Grade 3 - Grade 6
  • Reading Level: Grade 4

Africa is not a country.

From the tiny island nations of Comoros, Seychelles, and São Tomé and Príncipe, to its largest country, Africa is the only continent with land in all four hemispheres. Unlike any other continent, it is divided into two almost equal lengths by the equator, and it is nearly as wide as it is long.

Enter into the daily life of children in the many countries of modern Africa. Countering stereotypes, Africa Is Not a Country celebrates the extraordinary diversity of this vibrant continent as experienced by children at home, at school, at work, and at play.

“The title says it all. Instead of the ‘vanishing tribes’ view of one Africa with tourists from different countries photographing the animals and primitive people, this informative picture book celebrates the diversity of the 53 nations that make up the continent today. . . readers will want to go on from here to explore in depth particular countries that interest them. The essential differences and connections are here.” —Booklist

Format Your Price Add
978-0-7613-1647-3
$9.99
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Interest Level Grade 3 - Grade 6
Reading Level Grade 4
Genre Picture Books, Social Studies
Copyright 2000
Publisher Lerner Publishing Group
Imprint First Avenue Editions ™
Language English
Number of Pages 48
Publication Date 2002-08-01
Text Type Informational Fiction
BISACS JUV030010, JUV074000, JUV015010
Dewey 960
Graphics Full-color illustrations
Dimensions 8.375 x 11
Guided Reading Level T
ATOS Reading Level 5.3
Accelerated Reader® Quiz 45401
Accelerated Reader® Points 0.5
Features Awards, Index, Maps, and Reviewed

Author: Margy Burns Knight

Margy Burns Knight is a children’s book author and educator based in Maine. She received the National Education Association’s Author Illustrator Human and Civil Rights Award and the Children’s Africana Book Award for Africa Is Not a Country.

Author: Mark Melnicove

Mark Melnicove is an author, teacher, and director. He is based in Maine.

Illustrator: Anne Sibley O'Brien

Anne Sibley O’Brien is a children’s book illustrator of over thirty-five picture books. A 2014 recipient of the Katahdin Award for lifetime achievement from the Maine Library Association, Anne is dedicated to diversity education and leadership training. She cofounded two projects featuring diverse books: I’m Your Neighbor Books, and the Diverse BookFinder. She lives with her husband on an island in Maine, and is the mother of two grown children and a grandmother of two.

Awards

  • Children's Africana Book Award, Winner, 2000
  • NCSS/CBC Notable Social Studies Trade Book for Young People, Winner, 2000

Reviews

Booklist

“The title says it all. Instead of the ‘vanishing tribes’ view of one Africa with tourists from different countries photographing the animals and primitive people, this informative picture book celebrates the diversity of the 53 nations that make up the continent today. . . readers will want to go on from here to explore in depth particular countries that interest them. The essential differences and connections are here.”
Booklist