K Is for Kwanzaa: A Kwanzaa Alphabet Book

by Juwanda G. Ford, Ken Wilson-Max (Illustrator)

A is for Africa

B is for Bendera

C is for Candle

This unique and beautifully illustrated book celebrates the joyful African-American holiday, Kwanzaa.

Genres: Picture Books, Holiday, Nonfiction, Childrens, School, Cultural, Family

32 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1997

Reviews

[Dusty Budd · Rating 3 out of 5]

Book Title: K is for Kwanzaa (A Kwanzaa Alphabet Book)
Author/Illustrator: Juwanda Ford, Ken Wilson-Max
Reading Level: LG
Book Level: 4.6

Book Summary: An A-Z alphabet book with a different word, related to the celebration, for each letter. The words are phonetically put on the page so a reader knows how to pronounce the word correctly.

Bookshelf Genre: Multicultural Literature

Bookshelf Mentor Writing Traits:
Word Choice: The author takes liberties by coming up with single words that are related to the celebration. One example is the "H" letter is for "Harvest". I would challenge young writers to come up with their own words for the respective letters. Students could choose a holiday of their choice and in a similar manner, have to come up with 26 words, each one starting with each letter of the alphabet, and explain the reasoning for it.

Conventions: The author uses phonetics for the African terms in the book and puts an emphasis on the spelling of each term and using it in a sentence. If students are writing about a holiday of their choice, they would need to make sure that the words were spelled correctly and would have to phonetically spell them for those readers that are unsure how to correctly speak it.

[Katie Merkel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like the bold colors used in the illustrations. I also liked Ford's definitions of the different parts of Kwanzaa. She made the information easy to understand. I was grateful that Ford included the pronunciation for the new words in the text. "K is for Kwanzaa" was an informative, pleasant read.

[Exponent II · Rating 5 out of 5]

“K is for Kwanzaa” is an alphabet book that explains the African-American holiday of Kwanzaa letter-by-letter, and the values and rituals that surround it.

[Marilyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well-illustrated alphabet book celebrating African values, pride, and language for Kwanzaa.

[Carla]

Great Kwanzaa alphabet book for all ages

[Barbara Vaughn]

This is a very nice book to teach your students about Kwanzaa and the alphabets. I will use this as a text-to-teach connection. The book has very nice colorful pictures.

[Amanda Andrews · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book Title: K is for Kwanzaa
by Juwanda G. Ford

Short Description of the Book: In an Alphabet book about Kwanzaa, Ford explains the tenants and symbols of the African American holiday. She uses both English and Swahili to teach the reader all about Kwanzaa.

Focus: Informational Features I Would Use in a Mini-Lesson

1.) Informational Text Structure—Alphabet Book: Juwanda G. Ford creates an ABC book that tells all about Kwanzaa. What a great way to teach what you know about a subject! Students can use this book and other ABC books to teach to their own expertise about a subject. The challenge would be that the subject would have to be rather broad in order to provide enough words to go through the entire alphabet, and writers would have to think abstractly and creatively in order to include all of the important information. However, the end result could be a wholly comprehensive text that teaches the reader about a topic.

2.) Informational Text Structure: Ford provides an introduction page that gives a brief explanation as to why Kwanzaa is celebrated by a group of people, and why it is important that other cultures are aware of this holiday. She also includes a separate “guide” page that pulls out the seven principles of Kwanzaa: unity, self-determination, collective work and responsibility, cooperative economics, purpose, creativity, and faith. This guide provides the reader with an overarching theme of the beliefs behind the celebration of Kwanzaa. Students could use this format to pull out the most important information about their topic that they want to relay to a reader.

Teach: CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.1.7 Participate in shared research and writing projects (e.g., explore a number of “how-to” books on a given topic and use them to write a sequence of instructions).

[Malaika Hopson · Rating 4 out of 5]

During the winter holiday season most people focus on Christmas, however Kwanzaa is another holiday tradition for many African Americans. This alphabet book is a general nonfiction book that goes through the entire alphabet using the Swahili language. The Swahili language shares many traditions of this holiday that is rich in culture. Bright vibrant colors and blocky, thickly outlined objects represent the illustrations used throughout this book. The characters join with a simple overview of the African American harvest holiday. There is an explanation of the seven principles of Kwanzaa and a pronunciation guide for the African words in the text. The alphabetical format is an effective technique to introduce many words about the holiday to a relatively young audience. This book correlates to my chosen cultural topic of African American cultures being that the storyline deals with an African American harvest holiday.

[Monica Jung · Rating 5 out of 5]

ALPHABET

Ford, Juwanda G. K is for Kwanzaa. New York: Scholastic Books, 1997

Target Audience: Preschool to Grade 1

This is a colorful, educational, and multi-cultural alphabet book. It teaches the alphabet through words having to do with the celebration of Kwanzaa. Many of the words are unfamiliar unless a student already has good background knowledge pertaining to Kwanzaa.

This is a great book to introduce students to both the alphabet and this holiday. The font ranges in size, but it is always formatted in bold. The illustrations are large, dramatic with thick lines and take up every inch of the pages. The font compliments this book very well and lets the reader know that this is a holiday full of energy and color. This book lends itself to follow up lessons about the continent of Africa, its foods, customs, and people. It can also be used as an introduction for further lessons about African-American people and their heritage.

[Abbi Kraus · Rating 5 out of 5]

K is for Kwanzaa is an alphabetized book about the holiday. It is full of great vocabulary and pictures to bring the words to life. It covers all of the aspects of the holiday: religious, traditions, food, family, and dress. It is a good book for learning about culture and it is appropriate for all ages.

[Katherine Brown · Rating 4 out of 5]

During the winter holiday season most people focus on Christmas, however Kwanzaa is another holiday tradition for many African Americans. This book goes through the alphabet, and using the Swahili language shares many traditions of this holiday that is rich in culture.

[Miss Kious · Rating 3 out of 5]

important symbols and words

somewhat lengthy descriptions for some letters

[Suzanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

The alphabet book style lends itself to covering many of the symbols and traditions of Kwanzaa.

[Alison · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a great beginner book for kids. (And adults that do not have much knowledge on the subject) This is a wonderful holiday about togetherness and helping one another.