Nana Akua Goes to School

By Tricia Elam Walker, April Harrison (Illustrator)

A shy girl fears her classmates' reaction to her grandmother's tribal markings.

4.5/5 Goodreads · 1,068 ratings

34 pages· 1,244 words· Est. 10 min read-aloud

$18.99Save 5%

In stock. Also at Amazon or Bookshop.

Bookroo's summary

On Grandparents Day, Zura hesitates to introduce her beloved Nana Akua, whose face bears traditional West African markings. Fearing her classmates' reactions, Zura worries about ridicule. But Nana Akua, with wisdom and a quilt of African symbols, turns potential fear into a celebration of uniqueness, teaching the class about cultural pride and acceptance. Will Zura's classmates embrace the beauty of diversity?

From the publisher

In this moving story that celebrates cultural diversity, a shy girl brings her West African grandmother–whose face bears traditional tribal markings–to meet her classmates. It is Grandparents Day at Zura’s elementary school, and the students are excited to introduce their grandparents and share what makes them special. Aleja’s grandfather is a fisherman. Bisou’s grandmother is a dentist. But Zura’s Nana, who is her favorite person in the world, looks a little different from other grandmas. Nana Akua was raised in Ghana, and, following an old West African tradition, has tribal markings on her face. Worried that her classmates will be scared of Nana–or worse, make fun of her–Zura is hesitant to bring her to school. Nana Akua knows what to do, though. With a quilt of traditional African symbols and a bit of face paint, Nana Akua is able to explain what makes her special, and to make all of Zura’s classmates feel special, too.