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Reviews

Gr 1-4-Readers are introduced to the formation and growth of the young Nelson Mandela. Rolihlahla, known to his family as Buti, came from a royal Thembu family and was taught the ways of leadership early in his life. This brief account traces his days as a school boy, where he is assigned the name Nelson; as a college man; and as the first black to open (with his partner) a Johannesburg law office. It touches even more briefly on his work with the ANC, his two marriages and families, and his prison years. The text conveys the timelessness of the African traditions and landscape: "Always, the wind had blown mightily through the valley that cradled his village. Sunsets had forever before kissed the hills..." Most importantly, it sketches the lessons through which Mandela learned to hold fast to his beliefs. Wind is an important image in the narrative, often as a reminder of strength. Cooper's oil paintings are infused with golden light. Elegant composition and subtle shifts in perspective add emotional value to the carefully focused account. The author's obvious reverence for his subject shines through in this thoughtfully crafted, beautiful book.-Carolyn Noah, Central Mass. Regional Library System, Worcester, MA

Cooper's (Coming Home: From the Life of Langston Hughes) poetic portrait of Nelson Mandela emphasizes the leader's lifelong commitment to "stand[ing] firm for what he believed was fair and right." Appropriately for his audience, the author focuses more closely on Mandela's boyhood and schooling than on his adulthood as an anti-apartheid activist or his ascension to the presidency of South Africa. Lyrically linking Mandela's Thembu heritage with his education in modern subjects, Cooper describes the young Mandela's relationship to Thembu elders, such as Old Chief Joyi, "[who] with his wrinkled blue-black skin and dry, dusty voice, had lived and seen much from the days of forever before." This dextrous attention to Thembu traditions paves the way to a stronger appreciation of the adult Mandela's commitment to freedom for all of South Africa's peoples. Striking an appealing balance between the representational and the symbolic, Cooper's intentionally grainy oil washes present impressive likenesses of Mandela throughout the stages of his life. Skillful design accommodates a lengthy text by setting it in relatively small type and superimposing it over sweeping, two-page spreads. A forceful, credible picture of a strong and deeply devoted statesman. Ages 5-10. (Sept.)

"A forceful, credible picture of a strong and deeply devoted statesman". -- Publishers Weekly, starred review