Collection Highlights: Kwanzaa

  

Collection Highlights: Kwanzaa

Contributed by Jordan Farinelli, Collection Development Librarian

Learn more about Kwanzaa’s history and how to celebrate with some of the books listed below!

Kwanzaa

Children’s

BR 15035 – My First Kwanzaa, by Karen Katz

A young girl describes how she and her family celebrate the African American holiday of Kwanzaa, explaining the significance of each of its seven days. Includes pronunciations.

BR 13078 – Seven Spools of Thread : a Kwanzaa Story, by Angela Shelf Medearis

Tale about seven argumentative Ashanti brothers, who are given the seemingly impossible task of turning spools of silk thread into gold. They join together to solve the problem, thus exhibiting the spirit of Kwanzaa. Includes information on this cultural holiday and instructions for weaving a Kente belt. 

DB 33258 – Kwanzaa, by Deborah M. Newton Chocolate

"Every year, from the day after Christmas until the first day of the new year, our family celebrates Kwanzaa" Thus begins the narrator's informative and delightful introduction to the celebration of Kwanzaa, the African-American holiday of the "first fruits." 

DB 42923 – It's Kwanzaa Time!, by Linda Goss and Clay Goss

Collection of stories, songs, and poems celebrating the seven principles of Kwanzaa, an African American observance based on old African festivals and traditions. Also includes games and recipes.

DB 97859 – Seven Candles for Kwanzaa, Andrea Davis Pinkney

Describes the origins and practices of Kwanzaa, the seven-day festival during which people of African descent rejoice in their ancestral values.

DB 60693 – Kwanzaa Karamu : Cooking and Crafts for a Kwanzaa Feast, by April A. Brady

Explains the meaning of this African American celebration. Provides recipes for children and adults to prepare together for the feast and instructions for making decorations and gifts.

Young Adult

BR 08375 ; DB 32621 – Kwanzaa : an African-American Holiday that is Progressive & Uplifting, by Haki R. Madhubuti

A guide to the meaning and observance of Kwanzaa, an African-American celebration of the "first fruits." Originated in 1966 by Maulana Karenga, Kwanzaa is celebrated annually from December 26 through January 1. 

DB 42533 – The Complete Kwanzaa : Celebrating Our Cultural Harvest, by Winbush D. Riley

An anthology of essays, folktales, poems, personal profiles, and recipes on the African American festival of Kwanzaa. The selections serve to illuminate the seven principles of the event and to guide in its celebration.

Adult

DB 34528 – Kwanzaa : an African-American Celebration of Culture and Cooking, by Eric V. Copage

Kwanzaa is a week-long (December 26-January 1) African-American celebration of the "first fruits." The author has compiled a sourcebook for the observance. Included are selections from historical works, folklore, and biographies that illustrate the "Nguzo Saba" (seven principles of Kwanzaa,) interspersed with a host of recipes from the African diaspora.