This year Cassava Republic has two new titles:
The first is a children's guide to West African birds called Birds of Our Land, by Virginia Dike. The book aims to introduce Nigerian children to 25 birds representing the major species in the region. Through rich, poetic descriptions, it explains the basic features of these birds and includes key things to note in observing them. It is also richly illustrated with beautiful paintings by artist Robin Gowen. We believe this book is more than a great read, it is the perfect tool for parents and educators to encourage children to spend more time exploring nature.
Virginia Dike is a professor and head of the Department of Library and Information Science at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, and is also a founding member of The Children's Centre Library at the University of Nigeria in Nsukka.
Our second book is the haunting novel, Tiny Sunbirds, Far Away, by Christie Watson. Winner of the 2011 Costa Award for First Novel, this beguiling novel tells the story of 13-year-old Blessing and her brother Ezikiel who must leave their comfortable life in Lagos to live with their grandparents in a poor village in the Niger Delta when their father leaves them for another woman. Just as Blessing begins to settle into this new life peopled by unforgettable characters, she finds out that all may not be as it seems. and forces beyond her control threaten to tear the family apart.
Christie Watson has worked for over ten years as a children’s nurse. She has a Masters in Creative Writing at University of East Anglia.
