Is it Far to Zanzibar?

by Nikki Grimes, Betsy Lewin, Clifford Alexander Parms

Thirteen masterly poems by Nikki Grimes are illustrated with piquant watercolors by Betsy Lewin. From mist-and mystery-shrouded Mount Meru, to a young girl coming home to her family's relentless hospitality, to a hungry lion prowling the Serengeti Plain, to a bus crowded witth squawking chickens and curious billy goats - not to mention people - Is It Far to Zanzibar? captures the sights, sounds and scenery of Tanzania.

Genres: Poetry, Africa

32 pages, Hardcover

First published March 1, 2000

Reviews

[Mia · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a fun book! I enjoyed the poems, the rhymes, and the content. But more than that, reading this made my heart melt and be nostalgic for the time when I lived in Tanzania. So descriptive and vivid, the places, people, and foods really pulled me in. Highly recommend! Several fun Swahili words included, but not to the point where you get confused (if you don't speak Swahili).

[Ch_ebonysmith · Rating 3 out of 5]

A book of poems dedicated to sights and sounds of Zanzibar. A city Tarzania. It relates to the things you may see as you travel through the streets of the city. The poems are light and fun. Children can read the poems and enjoy some of the experiences of Tarzania. The illustrations are great and add to the reading.

[Aolund · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well-written, short, rhyming poems take readers to Tanzania, describing everything from food to natural aspects of the landscape to transportation. Lighthearted illustrations accompany.