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A Gift from Childhood: Memories of an African Boyhood
Baba Wagué is only four years old when he is sent to the tiny Malian village of Kassaro to be raised by his paternal grandparents, according to the family tradition. He is most unhappy about this at first, but under his grandmother’s patient and wise tutelage he comes to love his close-knit village community. He learns how to catch a catfish with his bare hands, flees from an army of bees, and mistakes a hungry albino cobra snake for a pink inner tube. Finally, Grandma Sabou decides that Baba is educated enough to go to school, and he moves back to the city, where his family struggles to provide him with a formal education. But he brings his village stories with him, and in the process of sharing them with his neighborhood uncovers his immense artistic and storytelling talents.
- GenresAfricaMiddle GradeMemoir
96 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2010
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
March 6, 2019
This book and its gorgeous illustrations made me happy.
October 17, 2025
An absolutely beautiful book, telling the story of the author's childhood in rural Mali, in the 1960s. Gorgeous illustrations, well crafted prose, could work well for ages 8-14.
Baba Wague is sent to the village to live with his grandparents and encounter life lessons that cannot be learned in school. His stories from this time not only portray his own experience as a child but reveal the culture and worldview of his people - and some of them really make you think. I recommend that Christian parents read this book along with their children and use discernment in discussing it, as some viewpoints are inconsistent with biblical worldview.
Highly recommended for young people (and adults!) wanting to learn more about the culture and values of African peoples.
Baba Wague is sent to the village to live with his grandparents and encounter life lessons that cannot be learned in school. His stories from this time not only portray his own experience as a child but reveal the culture and worldview of his people - and some of them really make you think. I recommend that Christian parents read this book along with their children and use discernment in discussing it, as some viewpoints are inconsistent with biblical worldview.
Highly recommended for young people (and adults!) wanting to learn more about the culture and values of African peoples.
July 5, 2017
Mali
'The best time to do something is when you are willing to do it"
"More than a century of European occupation greatly contributed to the loss of cultures and traditions for one whole generation of Africans."
"No matter how cloudy the past may look, the bright future will be born from it."
"If you know where you came from, you will know where you are heading."
"One must first look good inside before looking good outside."
"So much gold, so much silver, but only friendship holds the true meaning of wealth."
"A child is like a tree. If you take good care of it, you will enjoy its shade later."
'The best time to do something is when you are willing to do it"
"More than a century of European occupation greatly contributed to the loss of cultures and traditions for one whole generation of Africans."
"No matter how cloudy the past may look, the bright future will be born from it."
"If you know where you came from, you will know where you are heading."
"One must first look good inside before looking good outside."
"So much gold, so much silver, but only friendship holds the true meaning of wealth."
"A child is like a tree. If you take good care of it, you will enjoy its shade later."
October 23, 2017
It is a really good book. You learn about different cultures in different parts of the world.
December 9, 2024
3.5. A good read.
December 6, 2014
Diakite, B. W. (2010). A gift from childhood. Toronto, Canada: Groundwood Books.
*2011 Outstanding International Book List
Informational
Age range: 10 and up, Grades: 4 and up
This is a beautiful autobiography of Diakite's childhood in Mali, located in western Africa. Colorful illustrations created on earthenware tiles combined with rich African culture, heritage, and values creates an interesting story about life in a third world country. When Diakite turned four, his parents sent him to live with his Grandpa and Grandma Sabou on their mango plantation. His grandparents provided a deep informal education foundation for him by teaching him how to catch catfish with his bare hands and cultivate crops. But his gift that was encouraged by his grandmother was the gift of storytelling. Once Deakite completed his informal education, he returned back to the city with his parents to attend school. He was always grateful for the time that he spent with his grandparents and portrays how that childhood experience made him who he is today. This story is a great resource for a global studies unit focusing on African history, values, and culture. It can also be incorporated into art class where students can recreate their own culture using the same type of painting technique. A rich story of a proud heritage of people..........very interesting read.
*2011 Outstanding International Book List
Informational
Age range: 10 and up, Grades: 4 and up
This is a beautiful autobiography of Diakite's childhood in Mali, located in western Africa. Colorful illustrations created on earthenware tiles combined with rich African culture, heritage, and values creates an interesting story about life in a third world country. When Diakite turned four, his parents sent him to live with his Grandpa and Grandma Sabou on their mango plantation. His grandparents provided a deep informal education foundation for him by teaching him how to catch catfish with his bare hands and cultivate crops. But his gift that was encouraged by his grandmother was the gift of storytelling. Once Deakite completed his informal education, he returned back to the city with his parents to attend school. He was always grateful for the time that he spent with his grandparents and portrays how that childhood experience made him who he is today. This story is a great resource for a global studies unit focusing on African history, values, and culture. It can also be incorporated into art class where students can recreate their own culture using the same type of painting technique. A rich story of a proud heritage of people..........very interesting read.
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November 23, 2015Diakite, B. i. (2010). A gift from childhood: memories of an African boyhood. Canada: Groundwood Books.
Citation by: Dianna Wolf
Type of Reference: Biography
Call Number: Ref 92
Content/Scope: A memoir about growing up in Mali, Africa
Accuracy/Authority/Bias: This book was classified as "Core Collection" by "Middle and Junior High Core Collection (H. W. Wilson)." This list is selected and recommended by collection development specialists in library service to young people.
Arrangement/Presentation: The book is organized chronologically through the life of the author.
Relation to other works: This book relates to other biographies as they tell a story of the person's life, and other books set in Africa.
Timeliness/Permanence: Book was published in 2010, but the content is timely with the focus on living in another country which many of our students have experienced.
Accessibility/Diversity: The book provides a different look at growing up that some students can relate to, and other students can begin to understand better.
Cost:$18.95
Citation by: Dianna Wolf
Type of Reference: Biography
Call Number: Ref 92
Content/Scope: A memoir about growing up in Mali, Africa
Accuracy/Authority/Bias: This book was classified as "Core Collection" by "Middle and Junior High Core Collection (H. W. Wilson)." This list is selected and recommended by collection development specialists in library service to young people.
Arrangement/Presentation: The book is organized chronologically through the life of the author.
Relation to other works: This book relates to other biographies as they tell a story of the person's life, and other books set in Africa.
Timeliness/Permanence: Book was published in 2010, but the content is timely with the focus on living in another country which many of our students have experienced.
Accessibility/Diversity: The book provides a different look at growing up that some students can relate to, and other students can begin to understand better.
Cost:$18.95
January 31, 2015
I use this as part of the Memory Work unit, I do in my course, Worlds of Childhood, to think not only about different experiences of childhood but the rich storytelling traditions in indigenous cultures that link up the texts I use - Larry Loyie's As Long as the Rivers Flow (Cree/Canada), Rigoberta Menchu's The Girl from Chimel (Maya/Guatemala) and Diakite's Fulani Malian childhood - I also love Diakite's intermingling of family and community stories with folktales - and his extraordinary ceramic art!
Jan/15
Each time I work with this book, I'm surprised by the emotional depths that it explores in its evocation of Diakite's childhood experiences and what a fine book on the art of storytelling it is! Wonderfully engaging, provocative and sweet!
Jan/15
Each time I work with this book, I'm surprised by the emotional depths that it explores in its evocation of Diakite's childhood experiences and what a fine book on the art of storytelling it is! Wonderfully engaging, provocative and sweet!
May 19, 2010
Wonderful memoir.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews