Blog Post: Reflection on Children’s Literature in Africa

This blog post looks at an article written by Osayimwense Osa on Children’s Literature in Africa. In this article, Osa writes about how it is the responsibility of Nigerians to teach their children, and as a result, they contribute to peace and harmony for an ethnically diverse nation like Nigeria. The article discusses how African writers hold the power to reflect on the role that Africans should have in the society and what they can contribute. They have also found that in order to raise well-rounded children, they are able to do it through literature that is in touch with the cultural heritage. This was found to be more effective than forcing children to recite the national pledge and anthem of Nigeria.

The article analyzes an article in a special issue of Matatu, which says that having a diverse set of contributors creates different perspectives that enrich the book. It looks at the potential of literature to reflect the true reality that African children face. Osa agrees with Robert Newton that using “indigenous literature will help students know and appreciate the language more” (Osa 169). Osa concludes this analysis of the article by stating that it is rich in information and useful to grow children’s literature in Africa.

I believe that everything Osa writes about on how children’s literature has the power to shape children is important. I believe this ability lies in having a diverse set of characters in children’s books. Gómez talks about the need for books with characters that are of a race that people can see themselves in (Gómez, 1). Osa supports this idea that having a diverse set of contributors allows different perspectives to enrich the books being written. Finally, I want to touch on the fact that reading books of other cultures does create an appreciation for the other culture, and as a result has the power to create harmony between diverse groups. Although Osa was only talking about Nigeria in this article, I believe that it can be extended to the need of diverse contributors in all of children’s literature.

Works Cited

Gómez, Sarah H. “Decolonizing Nostalgia: When Historical Fiction Betrays Readers of Color.” The Horn Book Magazine. 25 Oct. 2016. Print.

Osa, Osayimwense. “Preserving the Landscape of the Imagination (Book Review).” Research in African Literatures, vol. 32, no. 1, Spring 2001, p. 166-171. EBSCOhost.