09 January 2009

Book Review: K is for Kwanzaa

Once again, I am here to nobly perform a public service in reviewing one of the many pillars of the world's greatest literature that crosses my desk. Or my lap, as it were.

This time, it's Juwanda Ford's K is for Kwanzaa, a title my 4-year-old son D- recently selected at random* from the library:

Cover of 'K is for Kwanzaa' by Juwanda FordThis book is exactly what it seems-- go ahead and judge it by the cover, I can vouch for you.

But what surprised me, after picking through pages defining items like Gele, Mkeka, Ujamaa, and Vibunzi, is that even though they rolled all the many cultures of Africa into one catchall holiday, X still just stands for Xylophone:

Page X from 'K is for Kwanzaa' by Juwanda FordStay strong, brother! You will never be unseated!


* To follow up his previous random selection, Fran Manushkin's Starlight and Candles: The Joys of the Sabbath.
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11 comments:

  1. Sidhe1/9/09, 8:01 AM

    Xylophone?

    Thanks for giving me a smile today!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Jenny Grace1/9/09, 10:33 AM

    I object to xylophone boy's binkie.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Renee1/9/09, 11:23 AM

    Interesting Miss Grace. I automatically assumed Xylophone Baby was a girl. The pinkish-purplish shorts set is my only clue, but I found it more reliable than a bald head, which is pretty gender neutral in babies.

    Was N, by any chance, for Non-Gender-Specific Apparel?

    I too, object to the binkie. Mostly because it does nothing to help my case.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Aracely1/9/09, 12:12 PM

    X is always for Xylophone, I think it's written in the constitution.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Leslie1/9/09, 1:33 PM

    What else? Xavier?

    ReplyDelete
  6. Mrs. B. Roth1/9/09, 1:46 PM

    Stupid X doesn't even make a sound. Xylophone is misspelled, it should be freaking Zylophone. I vote to outlaw "X" as the first letter of any word without a hyphen (x-ray, x-axis). All in favor?

    ReplyDelete
  7. Weith Kick1/9/09, 1:50 PM

    What does xylophone have to do with Kwanzaa? I guess you could say the xylophone is something that could and should be celebrated with every holiday. Perhaps even everyday. I think the xylophone is the one instrument that should be used in every song. Every song.

    ReplyDelete
  8. nonna1/9/09, 1:59 PM

    i'm not sure which is funnier, your son's taste in literature, or you commenter's comments.

    i am not offended by the binkie because that is obviously a young toddler/baby. he/she has a bib on. come on peeps, only babies wear bibs, therefore a binkie is entirely appropriate :)

    ReplyDelete
  9. Kori1/9/09, 2:15 PM

    I particularly like the ads at the bottom of hte page: one for Hannukah dreidels, the other for Kwanzaa candleholders. A slightly odd combo there, I thought.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Mrs44441/9/09, 11:00 PM

    LOL, Dan! You crack me up!~ :)

    ReplyDelete
  11. The Microblogologist1/12/09, 9:02 AM

    You need to purchase or check out "Alphabet Mystery", it will blow your mind!

    ReplyDelete

I read and appreciate every single comment, and I try to reply to every one via e-mail.