Mama Africa!

Written by Kathryn Erskine · Illustrated by Charly Palmer

A singer's voice challenges apartheid's grip.

4.1 Goodreads · 382 ratings

48 pages· 1,539 words· Est. 12 min read-aloud· 630L

$18.99Save 7%

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Bookroo's summary

Miriam Makeba, known as Mama Africa, uses her powerful voice to fight apartheid's brutal grip. From jazz clubs in Johannesburg to the United Nations, she stands beside icons like Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., raising her voice against injustice. This biography captures her defiant spirit and unwavering commitment to equality, offering a vivid glimpse into her life and legacy. How did one voice shake the world, and can it continue to inspire change today?

From the publisher

Miriam Makeba, a Grammy Award–winning South African singer, rose to fame in the hearts of her people at the pinnacle of apartheid―a brutal system of segregation similar to American Jim Crow laws. Mama Africa, as they called her, raised her voice to help combat these injustices at jazz clubs in Johannesburg; in exile, at a rally beside Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.; and before the United Nations. Set defiantly in the present tense, this biography offers readers an intimate view of Makeba’s fight for equality. Kathryn Erskine’s call-and-response style text and Charly Palmer’s bold illustrations come together in a raw, riveting duet of protest song and praise poem. A testament to how a single voice helped to shake up the world―and can continue to do so.