African Queens: Twelve Incredible Stories of Africa's Legendary Women Leaders

by Onyinye Iwu

Twelve powerful African women from throughout history come to life through engaging true stories and bold illustrations.

All over Africa, women have shaped and ruled glorious civilizations—from Queen Hatshepsut of ancient Egypt, who built great temples and chose trade over war, to Mmanthatisi, the Wild Cat queen of the Basia people, who was small in stature but a clever army commander. Legendary Queen Arawelo of Somalia did everything in her power to make sure that men and women were treated equally in her kingdom, while Sayyida al-Hurra, the wealthy pirate queen, enriched her beloved city of Tétouan in Morocco. Potent leaders, thinkers, warriors, and protectors—each woman left her mark on history, and each empowering story comes alive in this lively and absorbing book, packed with facts and bright illustrations.

32 pages, Hardcover

Expected publication October 27, 2026

About the author

Onyinye Iwu was born in Italy to Nigerian parents and moved to England when she was thirteen. She is a designer, illustrator, and educator. Too Small Tola is her first book for children. She lives in London.

Reviews

[Batya’s Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finally, a book that uncovers the long history of amazing African queens, bringing these important and inspiring stories to life for children. African Queens is a must-buy for parents, teachers, and librarians!

With captivating illustrations and engaging captions, African Queen's introduces children to some of the most inspiring and impressive leaders, including my personal favorite Amanirenas, the Kandake (or Queen) of Kush who not only defeated the might of the Roman empire, she did so with flare, burying the bronze head of a statue of Emperor Augustus at the foot of her royal enclosure so everyone who entered could similarly walk all over the head of Rome.

Equally impressive is Queen Nzinga of Ndongo, who was a fierce warrior, learned scholar in Portuguese and Kimbundu, and killed negotiator and leader, fighting tirelessly to protect her people from enslavement and colonisation by the Portuguese, and paving the way for the modern nation of Angola.

As a lecturer in African history, I was happy to see many of my favourite queens included as well as some I had not heard of but will definitely be doing more research on to include in my teaching. I will be buying a copy for my children and recommending this book for years to come.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an eARC which I voluntarily chose to review. All opinions my own.