From the Heart of Africa: A Book of Wisdom

More than a dozen artists offer strikingly varied interpretations of 15 aphorisms sourced from across the African continent. “Africa is where we all started our journey on this planet,” writes Walters in an introduction. “It’s from this home that we began and then fanned out across the world.” Each saying appears in large bold type, labeled with its region or people of origin and a brief explanation. Many images hew to the language of the phrases—South African artist Toby Newsome pictures a woman in a headscarf carefully dipping her toe into a river (“No one tests the depth of the water with both feet”)—while others take bigger stylistic leaps. Working in a brash comic-book style, Sindiso “R!OT” Nyoni, based in Johannesburg, shows a black female astronaut beaming at readers from outer space (“Traveling is learning”). It’s easy to imagine this book being used in classrooms, with students suggesting their own interpretations of these aphorisms and inventing their own. A portion of Walters’s royalties will be donated to Creation of Hope, a Kenyan organization he cofounded that offers a variety of aid to orphans in that country. Ages 6–9. (Jan.)