Harare Review of Books

66 pages.

Expected publication date: Apr. 4, 2023 (Quarto Publishing Group – Wide Eyed Editions)

Genre: Non-fiction/Children

Young, Gifted and Black, Too follows on from 2018’s Young, Gifted and Black from the same authors, and, like the previous book, it features Black icons from history to the present. This fantastic little book is full of fun illustrations of these icons, with excellent bios to go with them.

I learnt lots! Like that Albert Luthuli was born at Solusi in Zim, which I honestly had never heard. (I am ignorant.) That Fela was multigifted, with the ability to play multiple musical instruments, and that he attended Trinity College of Music (—again, I am ignorant). I learnt that Charles Richard Drew, who has saved (and continues to save) millions of lives through his pioneering work on storage of blood plasma, died at 45 💔 I read about Ntando Mahlangu, the young South African Paralympic athlete who raced a cheetah on Netflix; about Kadeena Cox, who studied physiotherapy like me, and is now a Paralympic medallist, among her many achievements; about Juan Latino, a brilliant 16th century lecturer in Spain; about the queens, Yaa Asentewaa and Nanny; about Leymah Gbowee, Aisha Dee, and Lewis Hamilton; about Adenike Oladosu, the ecofeminist; and much, much more.

Here are the Black icons included in this book (please note that this is from the ARC, and may not be in the final book):

What a wonderful book to get for your kids and lbr, yourself, too! Absolutely delightful! Full marks plus extra stars for this one; highly recommended.

Thank you to NetGalley and to Quarto Publishing Group – Wide Eyed Editions for this ARC.

Nb. This book is suitable to read with tots, and also for younger children, with supervision. It’s great for all older kids without supervision.

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