Jambo Means Hello: Swahili Alphabet Book (Picture Puffin Books) | 
 enlarge | Author: Muriel Feelings
Creator: Tom Feelings
Publisher: Puffin
Category: Book
List Price: $6.99
Buy New: $3.32
You Save: $3.67 (53%)
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Avg. Customer Rating:  8 reviews
Sales Rank: 43575
Media: Paperback
Reading Level: Ages 9-12
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 56
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.5
Dimensions (in): 10.2 x 8.3 x 0.2
ISBN: 0140546529
Dewey Decimal Number: 496.392321
EAN: 9780140546521
ASIN: 0140546529
Publication Date: July 15, 1992
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Shipping: International shipping available
Condition: GREAT BUY!Brand New From US Distributor! WE ARE A 5 STAR SELLER with OVER 3,500,000 BOOKS SOLD!!! OVER ~ 600,000 FEEDBACKS ~ POSTED!!!
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| Customer Reviews: Read 3 more reviews...
Multicultural Perspective March 29, 2007
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
Jambo Means Hello is an alphabet book that has a Swahili word on each page starting with the corresponding letter. The word will be "baba" for mother, or "jambo" for hello, for instance. Then, there is the English translation of the word, and a short paragraph about the cultural meaning of the word. The book is accompanied by detailed black and white pencil drawings illustrating the cultural concept of the word in a typical small village in Africa. The drawings are very realistic and convey a strong sense of family, from the youngest children to the eldest grandparents. The lack of color in the pencil drawings makes the illustrations very realistic, but not as visually interesting. Children would probably prefer a more colorfully-illustrated book for this reason, even though the drawings are very skilled. The target audience for this group would be an early reader or someone learning their ABCs, to learn the different letters of the alphabet as receiving exposure to a different culture.
 Good book, but focuses on only rural areas... September 2, 2006
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
I am an American citizen, but my fiance is Kenyan. I was thrilled to find this book, since when we have children I want them to know as much about his culture as they do mine. I really like the idea of this book - introducing young children to Kiswahili words, and I love the pronunciation guides that are provided. I only have one complaint with this book. Its focus is completely on rural life, rural traditions, and rural culture. There is nothing about the larger African cities (my fiance grew up in Nairobi... not a tiny village). So if your goal is to learn a few Kiswahili words (although many of the words themselves are related to rural life), then this is a great book. But do not expect to get any idea of modern aspects of African life or city life. Even so, the book is cute, and worth it just for the Kiswahili it does contain.
yungiyungi December 5, 2005
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
jambo means hello is an informational book that teaches basic Swahili words that correspond to each letter in the alphabet.The Swahili words listed are defined in English and presented with a pronunciation key. A passage describing African culture pertaining to that particular word is also on the same page.Muriel Feelings uses a double-page layout to provide the reader a chance to think about that Swahili word before the next one is presented. The black and white illustrations, that expand upon the text, are composed with white tempura paint, black ink and linseed oil. An author and illustrator biography as well as an introduction to Africa are other parts of the book worth reading.
This Caldecott Honor book is fun and informative. It gives a good introduction to Swahili and some east African culture.This book provides the reader with detailed descriptions that influence further investigations of this foreign culture and language.
 Priceless October 21, 2005
Words alone will not serve this book justice. This is one of the most beautiful books I've ever read. My soon to be 2 yr old daughter borrowed this book from our first trip to the library when she was only 14 months old. Of the 5 or 6 "children's books" we borrowed, this was the ONLY book she wanted to read. So, we read it over and over until we had to renew our borrowing time, then finally after a little searching over this last summer, we bought it used from an old library. It is now in our collection forever. The illustrations of course are the most exquisite, and the representations of the alphabet give any reader a taste of Swahili culture and pride. My daughter knows every word in this book, because it is part of her culture and the book is so enticing, she egged to learn more from this pair of author/illustrator. Needless to say, if my 2 yr old loves it, I'm sure it'll please other readers as well.
An African ABC book September 15, 2004
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
This Swahili alphabet books presents a Swahili word for each letter of the alphabet representing important aspects of East African life and culture, from the grand (e.g., "ibada means worship" or "uzuri means beauty") to the more commonplace (e.g., "embe is a mango" or "punda is a donkey"). The illustrations are in warm shades of black and gray and represent the diverse peoples and landscapes of the wide region of Africa where Swahili is spoken. The introduction describes where Swahili is spoken, including a map.
This book is clearly written for outsiders and, as such, may be best described as a kind of social conscience book. Too often people in the United States speak of Africa as if it is a monolithic culture and this book may help to counteract that narrow perspective by honoring a variety of aspects of African culture. I especially like the scenes and activities portrayed in this book, from rural to urban, traditional to contemporary. My favorite page is "uzuri means beauty," with its description and illustration of two women, one with a crown of braided hair and the other with a shaved head and multiple pierced ears and its explanation that "Beauty means different things in different parts of Africa." The nicely written introduction reinforces this concept.
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