Wanjikũ: Child of Mine by Ciikũ Ndũng’ũ-Case, illustrated by Karen Vermeulen. Catalyst, 2024. 9781960803016
Rating: 1-5 (5 is an excellent or a Starred review) 4
Format: ARC (publication date July, 2024) picture book
What did you like about the book? In this vibrantly colored picture book, readers follow a young Kenyan girl through her stages of childhood in three very different settings. When the story opens, Wanjikũ lives with her cũcũ (grandmother) in a rural village. Next we see the girl (who now goes by Catherine) living in Nairobi, attending school and watched over by her maid, Wangarĩ. In the last phase, an independent teenage Catherine attends boarding school and, as a perfect, watches over the younger students. Sensory language and interesting details will draw readers into the story and naturally lead to compare and contrast discussions; for example, in her Nairobi classroom, Catherine stands as a show of respect when addressing her teacher and all the children chorus information back to demonstrate their understanding. The digital illustrations provide a great deal of cultural context without having to listen to lengthy exposition. We see how the hustle and bustle of urban life stands in contrast to Catherine’s rural upbringing, the countryside dominated by lush greeness, dirt roads, and herds of friendly cattle while the cityscape is dotted with billboards, satellite dishes, clotheslines, and buses. Young readers interested in Africa and Kenya in particular will enjoy this trip to an attractive and exciting destination. Also of note, Ndũng’ũ-Case provides a short origin story for Wanjikũ’s name (from the Gikũyũ people) and celebrates the diversity of beauty among Catherine’s teen friends, with different complexions, facial features, and body types.
Anything you didn’t like about it? Children will probably wonder about the whereabouts of Wanjikũ’s parents; she lives with her grandmother, a maid, and then goes to boarding school and although they are mentioned, they are never shown. Backmatter includes further cultural context and explanations, but doesn’t address this question. The author has included a glossary, but I was confused by the inconsistent use of asterisks to cue readers to its relevance.
To whom would you recommend this book? A good option for own voices stories reflecting Kenyan culture. The illustrations are especially charming and invite investigation; the look-and-find and discussion questions at the end of the book direct readers to the double-page endpapers (a virtual timeline of Wanjikũ/Catherine’s 3 stages of childhood).
Who should buy this book? Elementary school and public libraries
Where would you shelve it? Picture books
Should we (librarians/readers) put this on the top of our “to read” piles? No
Reviewer: Susan Harari, Keefe Library, Boston Latin School, Boston, MA
Date of review: June 2, 2024
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