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Wanjiku, Child of Mine
ISBN 9781960803016 | paperback | $17.99 | publication date Aug 2024
No matter where she goes, or how big she grows, Wanjikũ knows her name.
In the lush Kenyan countryside, a young Gikũyũ girl helps her grandmother with daily tasks. Here, as she tends to the cows, carries water, and plays in the fruit trees and sugarcane, she is called Wanjikũ.
On the busy city streets of Nairobi, where she goes to school, she is called by her English name, Catherine. But at home with Wangarĩ, the maid who cooks and cares for her, she is again Wanjikũ.
All grown up in boarding school, Catherine is the leader of her class, surrounded by friends from different cultural backgrounds. But at night, when she gathers with her fellow Gikũyũ sisters to speak her mother tongue, she is Wanjikũ once more.
Gloriously illustrated and alive with the joie de vivre of girlhood, Wanjikũ, Child of Mine is an ode to the heritage that walks alongside us, and a love song for the sisters we make on the journey.
REVIEWS
"Wankiju, Child of Mine deserves to be included in both school and public libraries.[...] [A] model for the importance of telling and retelling children the stories of who they are and where they come from." - Global Lit in Libraries Initiative
“Vibrant, textured illustrations accompany this eloquent picture book about embracing your identity.” - Foreword Reviews
"Through the engaging narrative and calm brush strokes, children are taken on a journey across the vibrant landscapes of Kenya. [...] This 32-paged picture book amplifies children’s understanding of diversity, inclusion, culture, language.”- World Kid Lit
"In this vibrantly colored picture book, readers follow a young Kenyan girl through her stages of childhood in three very different settings. [...] Young readers interested in Africa and Kenya in particular will enjoy this trip to an attractive and
exciting destination." - Youth Services Book Review
"[F]illed with deep cultural details, rich nuances, and a main character proud of her culture and heritage. Bold, bright, and beautiful artwork fills each page with joy [...]. A must read!" - Namita Moolani Mehra, author of The Light Within You
"[The] lilting language [and] evocative illustrations, transports young readers to lush Kenya. [...][A] treat of unexpected childhood delights, community connections, and resilience." - Kashmira Sheth, author of Tiger in My Soup and Feast of Peas
Ciiku Ndungu-Case is the founder of the Cheza Nami Foundation, a California based 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that promotes play-based cultural education and diversity awareness, inspired by Ciiku’s childhood in rural Kenya and the lack of accessible educational resources on Africa for her twins, born in 2007. Ciiku’s work in creating cultural awareness programs has appeared in CBS News, TEDx Livermore, the Oakland Magazine, and several California news outlets. She holds a Master’s degree in Cell and Molecular Biology and is a leader in strategic planning in the pharmaceutical industry.
AUTHOR CIIKU NDUNGU-CASE
ILLUSTRATOR KAREN VERMEULEN
Karen Vermeulen is an artist, illustrator and teacher living in Cape Town, South Africa. Her work is happy, uplifting and quirky. When she is not busy with some creative project, she is probably playing with her cat, Sir Henry. You can find more of her work at www.karenvermeulen.com
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