I Lost My Tooth In Africa

by Penda Diakité, Baba Wagué Diakité (Illustrator)

Coretta Scott King Honor author/artist Baba Wague Diakite and his 12-year-old daughter, Penda, create a charming, original adventure story about losing a first tooth while visiting family in Mali.

More than anything, Amina wants to lose her loose tooth while visiting her family in Mali, West Africa. Only then can she put it under a gourd for the African tooth fairy, who will exchange it for two chickens! Happily this happens, and even better, the chickens lay eggs. But will the eggs hatch before it's time to return home to America?

In this fresh, spontaneous story that is infused with close family warmth, Penda June Diakite joins forces with her award-winning author/artist father to give a charming peek at everyday life in Mali.

Genres: Picture Books, Africa, Cultural, Childrens, Family, Geography, Travel

32 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2005

Reviews

[Lisa Vegan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I saw this on the library shelf, and was interested because I’ve enjoyed reading about traditions around baby teeth loss in other books, including Throw Your Tooth on the Roof: Tooth Traditions from Around the World and several others, but if I’d read the inside cover carefully I’d never have read it. The tradition here is if you lose a tooth, you then get your own chicken. Definitely offends my vegan sensibilities. However, I couldn’t help enjoying this book.

For one thing, it’s basically a true story based on the author’s sister’s experience. Also, the illustrator is the author’s father.

Most importantly, it’s told first person by Amina, who’s really the author’s little sister (photo included at the end of the book!) and I love her voice. It’s the story of a family who lives in Portland, Oregon, U.S.A. and travels to visit relatives in Bamako, Mali, Africa. Every step of the journey, seeing the different traditions in this other culture, all of it is interesting.

The illustrations are vibrant, colorful, appealing. As a squeamish person, the lost tooth was depicted a little too realistically. At least there was no blood or thread left. As a kid, I’d have just been excited to see that tooth on the ground and finally lost as its owner had hoped for.

The author and illustrator’s notes have convinced me to shelve this as non-fiction biography. At the end of the book there is a short glossary, a good night song the Mali grandma sings, in Bambara (I think) with an English translation, and, unfortunately for vegan and vegetarian children, a Mali recipe for Djaba Dji. It includes chicken and chicken broth for which I guess plant based food substitutes could easily be used; it looks pretty good if you like the taste of meat; I don’t like vegan meats myself.

This is a warmhearted family and inter-cultural story well worth reading.

[Kathryn · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a fun, engaging and surprisingly thoughtful story about a young girl from Portland who accompanies her family to Mali (in West Africa) to spend several weeks with her extended family. To add to the excitement, she has a loose tooth and hopes it will fall out while she is in Mali so she can get a chicken from the African tooth fairy! Well, with the title "I Lost My Tooth in Africa" it's no surprise that he wish comes true, but it's still a great deal of fun finding out when it happens and whether she gets her chicken.

Although it features the very appealing topic of losing ones teeth (I can't tell you how excited my little 6-year-old ballet students are, keeping me updated with their loose tooth stories!), grown-up me appreciated the story for its engaging glimpse into the family in Mali, and its skillfully subtle way of showing how life is so different there than what the girl was used to in the US (such as brushing her teeth out next to a tree so that the water will fall on the tree and water it) yet she enthusiastically embraced it all. Also, it shows how, despite cultural differences, love and family bonds transcend all that--and so does the excitement a child feels about losing a tooth and getting something in return!

Although the illustrations aren't my usual favorite style, I found them utterly enchanting and absorbing in this case. I also enjoyed the author's and illustrator's notes in the back of the book as it is based on a true story of the author's little sister (and how cute is the photo of her with her tooth missing!!!) and illustrator's younger daughter (yes, author is the older daughter of the illustrator. I'm also very eager to make the recipe for the traditional African meal the family eats in the book (with a few tweaks for my vegan diet).

Thanks to my friend Lisa for bringing this to my attention! :-) (and consider that a smile with a front tooth missing!)

[Hope Chasteen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This children's book can be considered a multicultural book. It is about a young girl born in America, but her family is from Africa. So, her parents takes her on a trip to see her other family in Africa. She ends up loosing a tooth while she is visiting her family. The little girl is so excited to have lost it in Africa, because she was told that the tooth fairy in Africa gives children chickens instead of money. She had to place her tooth inside a chicken coop to receive her chicken. She waited and waited and finally finds a hatched egg (baby chicken of her own) inside of the coop. The trip went on, and it was time to leave. So, she became sad to leave her chicken. Her uncle said he would keep it safe for her in Africa until she decides to come back to visit. I gave it four stars, because the pictures were well illustrated and it exposed children to a part of the African culture. I did not give it five stars, because the story line was very simple and I think more details could have been added. I could use this in my future classroom when teaching about traditions/holidays around the world.

[L11_Page · Rating 5 out of 5]

This brilliantly written book is based on the true story of the author's younger sister's experience of losing a tooth on a trip to visit family in Mali, West Africa. Instead of money, her sister is promised a chicken, the traditional gift for placing a tooth under a gourd for the African tooth fairy. Losing a tooth and waiting for a gift to appear is familiar to many in the intended audience of 4-7 year olds and the enthusiasm Amina, the sister and narrator, shows after losing the tooth made me smile. The words and illustrations (drawn by the author's father) are both simple and telling. Amina describes her days waiting for the chickens, the eggs and then the hatching with both English and West African words. As the time comes for Amina and her family to leave, her chickens' eggs have hatched and her uncle promised her that when she returns the baby chicks will be old enough to lay their own eggs. A familiar subject written with an unfamiliar twist for many, including myself, makes this book stand out among many multicultural literature books for children.

[Ali Boyd · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kali thoroughly enjoyed this one (she said so herself). The book has a number of words from one of the many languages of Mali, and without always giving the translation, the context allows the child to figure out what it means. It also introduces concepts of family and deeper levels of appreciation for everyday life in Mali.

[Brent · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'd reread this in a heartbeat.
Recommended.

[Philip · Rating 5 out of 5]

It has been a minute since I've read and reviewed a children's book with Eleanor. Man, we used to do this all the time, lol. And there were some really good ones. I remember her very tearful review of the last Little House book - The First Four Years, and all the reviews with her sisters like The Book With No Pictures and Bill and Pete...But GEEEEZ... she's almost 18 now.

If you've been on my feed lately, you know I've been reading children's books along with the Geography class I've been teaching. I asked El if she would read one with me for old time's sake, and she agreed.

Dad: So, El - what do you think? How many stars? Did you like it? What was your favorite part???

Eleanor: *Chuckles* Well... hmmm... lots of questions at once. Should I answer them all at once, or do you want to start with just one?

Dad: You know how long it takes me to type...

El: *Laughs*

Dad: Probably just one at a time.

El: So, yes. I did like the book. Probably five stars.

Dad: Done. Five stars!

El: It's hard to go wrong with a book like that.

Dad: Go on.

El: You can have too much information, but that's about the only thing you can do wrong. If you make it too complicated, it will just be made for an older audience. The storyline is easy to follow, and it's something that... I think... at any age... you can read and think it's good. I mean, we just read this together, right?

Dad: And enjoyed it, too, I would say.

El: Yeah. I say the more books have to be developed, the more critical you have to be. These kinds of books, it's very easy to just rate it five stars and say, "YEAH! It was a good book!"

Dad: You know, that's something I like to get across to my college students, too. There's some real wisdom in this stuff that gets overlooked by academia, if I do say so, myself.

El: Plus... also, it's just fun. :) I know we've talked before about books that try to be fun books, but are really just lessons in disguise. This book makes it work. Like: I did learn stuff about Africa - but you can go into it just happy for a fun book to read.

Dad: Yeah. I thought it was a fun story, too. I think some of these cultural values and customs and traditions that differ from place to place are interesting for any level of reader. I can imagine an elementary aged kid getting really interested in the prospect of the tooth fairy bringing a chicken. On the other hand, as an adult reading this, with the knowledge of how many weeks a tooth would occasionally sit under a pillow waiting for an absentee tooth fairy to show up, I imagine all adults read it with something of a different perspective.

El: Well, at first I thought she was going to be taking a chicken home. I was like... did they prepare a coop ahead of time??? Did they know this was going to happen??? Somehow???

Dad: Yeah, it seems like it gave them a good additional excuse to make it back to Africa. To Mali. (Not that they needed one. Family, am I right?)

El: Yeah. I think that might have been my favorite part, when the dad told her the African Tooth Fairy would give her a chicken. Now I just keep picturing this two inch fairy carrying a chicken.

Dad: That's a funny image. Hey: thanks for reading a children's book with me again. I've got a couple more on the stack if you want to try another one before my class is over.

El: Yeah! That would be fun! I'm glad we could do this.

Dad: Me too!

[Katelyn Bognatz]

Title: I Lost My Tooth In Africa

Author: Penda Diakite

Illustrator: Baba Wague Diakite

Genre: Myth

Theme(s): Family Life, Africa, Myths

Opening line/sentence: Hi! My name is Amina. I live in Portland, Oregon. Today, we are flying to Africa to visit my father’s family in Bamako, Mali. Africa is very far from our home in Portland. It takes two days, three planes, and three different continents to get there. Right before landing in Mali, I discover I have a wiggly tooth!

Brief Book Summary: While visiting her father's family in Mali, a young girl loses a tooth, places it under a calabash, and receives a hen and a rooster from the African Tooth Fairy.

Professional Recommendation/Review #1: Amina and her parents, from Portland, Oregon, go to Mali, Africa, to visit family. Amina discovers a loose tooth on the visit, and her father tells her that the African tooth fairy leaves children real chickens for their teeth. After days of impatient waiting, Amina finally loses her tooth, and instead of receiving one chicken from the African tooth fairy, she receives a hen and a rooster. Her hen lays eggs, and Amina impatiently begins waiting all over again, this time waiting for the chicks to hatch. The day she is supposed to leave Africa for home, her chicken's eggs hatch, enabling her to see the chicks before she leaves. Author Penda Diakite, who wrote the story when she was eight years old, based it on her sister's true story of losing a tooth in Africa. The choppy writing reflects a child's hand, which interrupts the flow of the narrative. The story itself attempts to interject aspects of "real-life" in Africa, but clumsy interjections get lost in Amina's concentration on losing her tooth. The artwork, which creates an authentic feel of an African setting, saves this children's book from being a complete failure. The borders on the illustrations frame the work and give the pictures a folksy feel, and the bright colors bring the story to life where the writing fails to do so.

Professional Recommendation/Review #2: The enduring connection between a child in Portland, Oregon, and her extended family in Bamako, Mali, is the theme of this picture book, based on a true story, which the author wrote when she was just eight years old. In an immediate first-person account, a little girl relates her excitement about flying from America to revisit her father's family in Mali. One of her teeth is loose, and her dad tells her that if she loses her tooth and puts it under a gourd, she will get a chicken from the African Tooth Fairy. That's exactly what happens, and the last page shows the girl, minus one tooth and holding a speckled hen. The focus is on the rich daily life of the community, and the pictures--bright ceramic-tile-like illustrations by Diakite's father (whose picture books include the Coretta Scott King Honor Book The Hunterman and the Crocodile (1997)--are framed in borders decorated with everything from the sun, moon, and stars to eggs, chickens, feathers, and vegetables. The lively art shows why the narrator is sad to leave and looks forward to coming back. A glossary, a song, and a recipe for African onion sauce round out a book filled with charm.

Response to Two Professional Reviews: The first review believes this is a poorly written story because of the fact that she is trying to tell a story while intervening with the true story of her sister’s life. The second review talks more about the illustrations that were done by the author’s father. I believe these illustrations add to the authenticity of the store that is being from African decent.

Evaluation of Literary Elements: The story is very visual, which I think is a great thing for young readers. Diakite’s writing style makes the story come to life while reading it. Her detailed descriptions make it easy for young readers to visualize the setting.

Consideration of Instructional Application: This story could be used to help students from other countries connect with having family in other parts of the world. I also believe this could be used to help introduce myths of other countries. By showing myths about other countries gets them more culturally aware of the world around them.

[Jessica LeBaron · Rating 5 out of 5]

I Lost My Tooth In Africa
Penda Diakité

This picture book tells the story of Amina, a girl who travels to Mali, Africa from Portland, Oregon with her family to visit other family members. When they first depart on their trip, Amina has a loose tooth. Amina wiggles it and wiggles it, but it won’t fall out. In Africa, it is said that if you lose a tooth, you can put it underneath a gourd, and then you will get a chicken from the African Tooth Fairy. Amina’s African family lives all together in a compound, and Amina tells the reader about the food they eat, the way they eat, and what they do socially. Eventually, Amina’s tooth falls out, and after waiting for a very long time, she checked underneath the gourd and found two chickens instead of one! Amina and her family take care of the chickens, and one morning they wake up to find eggs in the chicken coop they made for the chickens. Amina also tells the reader how her family prepares meals. Throughout the book, Amina gives examples of how to say things in the African language instead of in the English language. The eggs her chickens lay end up hatching on her last day in Africa, and Amina’s African family members promise to take care of them until Amina can come back to Africa again. The illustrations are very colorful and vibrant and show how different things are in Mali compared to things in the United States.
I feel like this book really had a lot to offer. It is all focused around the Mali culture in Africa, and shows that a person can affiliate with more than just one culture. For example, in the book, the little girl is from the state of Oregon in the United States, and affiliates herself with both the culture from the states as well as her family’s culture in Mali, Africa. Even though this book is centered on the little girl losing her tooth while she is in Africa, there is so much more than just that throughout the book. The girl describes the ways that her family in Mali do things such as cook, eat, and socialize, and at the end of the book the author provides authentic and traditional recipes that were included throughout the storyline. The book also depicts the difference in culture, by the illustrations and by the different aspects of the Tooth Fairy. In the American culture, the Tooth Fairy is very widely associated with finding money under your pillow. In Amina’s African culture, instead of money under a pillow, you would find a chicken under a gourd.

[Emily Moog · Rating 3 out of 5]

I Lost My Tooth in Africa, written by Penda Diakite is a picture book depicting life and culture in Mali, Africa. Amina, the main character, from Portland, Oregon, goes to visit family in Mali. Her main concern throughout the story is for her loose tooth that she hopes to wriggle free. As she waits and hopes, many customs of the Mali people are seen and described relating to her loose tooth and waiting. Just as Amina had to wait for her tooth to come free, she also has to wait for chickens to hatch from the eggs. While waiting for both of these exciting prospects in her life, Amina discovers more about Mali African culture.
The illustrations within this story are crucial to the development of characters and storyline. The colors of outfits and prints on dresses were chosen purposefully to depict what men and women wear in Mali. Borders were drawn on each page to represent key parts within the story on that page. Houses, trees, bare ground, and animals were illustrated and colored to show how the people of Mali lived. They did not have that would be typical of the average American. Instead, their houses looked to be made out of cheaper brick materials and had floors that were simple dirt. These illustrations give us insight to an area of the world that we may never be able to visit but can better visualize due to the beautifully crafted pictures.
The author of this book, Penda Diakite, wrote this book in honor of his daughter, whom the book is based upon. On the back of the book, there is a picture of Penda, his daughter, and a black and white chicken, which is an important piece to the story. The dedication to Penda’s daughter and the picture on the back of the book show that this story is not meant to give tokenism to a certain race. The book is meant to give life to a culture that is not usually described and to honor a story of a young girl that a father loves very much. The accuracy is also seen through the account behind the book. Penda’s daughter went to Africa and had these experiences, meaning that the descriptions of the people group are fair and well-represented, making this book acceptable and eye-opening for young readers in a classroom. I would use this book as an example during a study on culture in which I compared cultural beliefs such as the belief in the book about chickens being good luck, and compare it to cultural beliefs in America.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

I Lost My Tooth In Africa by Penda Diakité, illustrated by Baba Wagué Diakité tells the tale of a young girl from Portland, Oregon who visits her extended family in Mali, and receives the traditional gift of a chicken in return for placing her lost tooth under a calabash gourd for the African tooth fairy.

Colorful, detailed illustrations feature borders of teeth and chickens, birds and vegetables, feathers and eggs, and more. Vibrant colors and earthy tones abound. Some details are only seen in the pictures. It's illustrated by the father of the author.

Based on a true story about the author's sister, when she was eight years old, this tale is spiced up with some Bambara language and examples of life in a Mali village. Readers learn about greeting grandmother & receiving daily blessings, eating from a communal bowl, sleeping in a bamboo bed, and brushing your teeth by a palm tree so that the tree gets water. Amina's story is told in the first person, which allows readers to live vicariously through her eyes. Included are the author's & illustrator's explanations of the story's origins, a glossary, and a recipe for African Onion Sauce. A photo of young Amina is also included,

I Lost My Tooth in Africa shows a girl from the United States with a family and heritage rooted in Africa. Yet, despite cultural differences, love and family bonds transcend all. Detailed pictures give readers more things to think about. Readers will identify with the universal story of losing a tooth & getting a gift, with a twist. The terminology and cultural rituals of Mali make this multicultural story special. I love the way this story shows, through food, games, and animals, how geographic location, climate, and physical surroundings affect ones way of life.

For ages 5 to 9, Losing a tooth, family, biography, multicultural, Mali, and fans of Baba Wagué Diakité.

[Toby · Rating 5 out of 5]

I Lost My Tooth in Africa by Penda Diakite, Illus by Baba Wague Diakite

2010 Monarch Award Master List
You will probably recognize the name ‘Diakite’ – the illustrator won a Coretta Scott King Honor for The Hunterman and the Crocodile and was also the author/illustrator of The Hatseller and the Monkeys, an African version of the old Caps for Sale story. Penda, we learn from the glossary means’ love’ in Swahili but, the author informs us that, even though Swahili is an East African language (and this story takes place in Mali), she was named after her grandmother.
Children will be enchanted by the common story of a little girl with a loose tooth, with the unique wrinkle that she loses it on a trip to visit her father’s family in Africa. “My dad says if you lose a tooth in Africa and put it under a gourd, you will get a chicken from the African Tooth Fairy!” And so she does.
In the best multicultural books, children can identify with a universal experience, such as losing a tooth, and then see how another culture has made that experience unique. The fact that this story is a true story, written when the author was 8 years old and visiting her father’s homeland, only makes the story more appealing.
The illustrations are gorgeous, beginning with the adinkra print end papers, continuing throughout with borders that highlight the subject of each painting: moon and stars at night, roosters & teeth in the daytime, black and white feathers interspersed with eggs when the much-anticipated gift from the Tooth Fairy is a chicken AND a rooster. The illustrator’s note pulls it all together: “There is a proverb from Mali that says, ‘Raising a child is like planting a tree. When it is tended well, you will enjoy its shade.’ This has been a great reward for me to illustrate my daughter’s book. I have always tried to teach my daughters about my culture in which storytelling is a true way of learning. As the tradition says, ‘Words must go from old mouths to new ears.’ Storytelling is a gift to me from my elders and I simply wanted to pass this gift along to my children.” Multicultural learning doesn’t get any better than this.

[Noelle Marie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I Lost my Tooth in Africa, is picture book about a young girl named Amina who loses her tooth while visiting relatives in Mali, Africa. The story allows readers to make comparisons between tooth traditions in the United States and those of Africa. Readers of this story learn that instead of receiving money for a tooth (like in America), individuals from Africa place their tooth under a gourd, in hopes that the African tooth fairy will deliver them laying hens. This book in our opinion merits the honor award because it fosters an awareness and understanding for people who seem different from the reader as well as introduces readers to the literary traditions of different world cultures (Tunnell, 193).

What I really enjoyed about this book is that it does not blatantly tell readers that they are going to learn about African culture; instead, the author presents a setting and true storyline that allows readers to live vicariously through Amina’s eyes, while she is surrounded by her family's culture. In other words we experience the cultural details of this story as Amina sees it. According to Children’s Literature Briefly, the setting of this story meets the definition of a quality book because it is detailed and fleshed out; the physical surroundings add credibility and depth to the story (Tunnell et al, 11).
In the beginning of the story the reader first learns about how her family lives-; in a compound surrounded by donkeys, goats, and lots of chickens (I guess a lot of people lost their teeth!). We also learn about the different types of food they eat and how meat is a delicacy. Amina shares with readers that meal time is a family gathering and that her favorite meal is a noodle and eggplant dish covered with rice and onion sauce. Other traditions we learn about are the morning greetings and blessings her grandmother receives and gives, she states, “May you rise high with strength and knowledge.” And lastly we learn about the tradition that goes along with the African tooth fairy, if you lose your tooth place it under a gourd and you will receive chickens.

[Clara Dykstra · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a sweet book that follows a young girl named Amina as she travels with her family from Portland to Mali, Africa where her dad's family lives. We get a glimpse into Malian culture as she steps into her extended family's day-to-day life. More than anything she wants to lose her tooth while she is there because she is told that instead of money, the African tooth fairy will bring her two chickens. She tries to wait patiently for her loose tooth to fall out and when it finally does she places it under a gourd. The next morning she is pleased to find two chickens, who eventually lay eggs. These eggs hatch into baby chicks about when it is time for Amina and her family to leave, but her uncle promises her that he will take care of them and that when she comes back they will be big enough to lay eggs of their own.

Major themes: cultural traditions, diversity, patience, family

I am giving this book 5 stars.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. Perhaps I'm partial because I myself experienced the "African tooth fairy" when my family lived in Zambia, but I thought it was a sweet approach to showing how different cultures honor different traditions. The narration was well-written and realistic to the age of the main character and the illustrations vibrantly portrayed life in Mali. It also sweetly celebrated the importance of family no matter where you live in the world.

I highly recommend this book for children to read, as it can work as both a window and a mirror to themselves and the world. Every child has gone through (or will go through) that oh-so familiar process of waiting for your tooth to fall out. It's so hard to be patient! Amina experiences this in the book. The sweet twist on it, though, is that she is experiencing it amidst an entirely different culture that readers can get a glimpse into. It celebrates both universal and local traditions, and can open up great dialogue for young readers about times they've had to be patient.

[Xiaoting · Rating 5 out of 5]

l lost My Tooth in Africa
This is multicultural picture book. The main character is Amina. Amina wants to lose her loose tooth while visiting her family in Mali, West Africa. Only then can she put it under a gourd for the African tooth fairy, who will exchange it for two chickens! We all know that this is not possible. However, Amina lost her tooth in Africa and she got chickens. When lost her tooth, the chickens lay eggs. Amina carefully take care chickens in Africa.

I think this story have great plot. Loosing a tooth is always a big deal to children. The plot of this story is something that that can relate to but also introduces young readers to a different culture and a different tooth fairy. Anima sets a good example for children how to face this thing that loosing tooth. The story takes place in a land most young readers will be unfamiliar with, but they can relate to the loving, extended family and the excitement of loosing a tooth. In this book, we also can see the culture of Africa. We can see the African food and forests. This is multicultural book. The author also deliver us the African culture for readers. Thus, It is very interesting for readers.

This is a real story. Amina is the author’s sister. There is a author notes. They tell us the story background information. This can help readers to understand well this story. Baba Wague Diakite says that “Raising a child is like planting a tree. When it is tended well, you will enjoy its shade.” The illustrator try to reach her daughter’s about her culture in which storytelling is a true way of learning. She think that “storytelling is a gift to me from my elders and I simply wanted to pass this gift along my children.” I think that it is a good idea by using this way to deliver culture to children.

This is a good multicultural picture book.

[Maria Garcia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Amina lost one of her teeth in Africa and learns about that the African Tooth Fairy who is not like the Tooth Fairy that most kids are familiar with. Instead of giving out money Amina's dad tells Amina that the African Tooth Fairy gives out a chicken. All Amina has to do is put her tooth under a gourd and wait for the African Tooth Fairy to replace her tooth with a chicken. Throughout the book we learn more about African Tooth Fairy as we are taken on a tour of Amina's stay in Mali, Africa. I learned a lot about African culture like food, songs, and family traditions throughout the story. Finally, after a long day of wait Amina checks under her gourd to find two beautiful black chickens one hen and one rooster. The hen and the rooster end up having chicks which Amina cannot wait to see hatch. At the end of her stay with her relatives Amina gets sad that she has to leave her chickens alone. However, her uncle promises to take good care of Amina's chickens when she is gone and this comforts Amina once again.
In all, I enjoyed this book for its colorful and unique illustrations and the topic that it discussed. My whole life I never thought about different takes on the very well-known tooth fairy across other cultures. After reading this book I was curious to learn about how other parts of the world celebrate when a child loses their teeth. This would be a great book to use in the classroom especially with younger kids who are at the time when they are losing a lot of their teeth. This story will give students exposure to other variations of the tooth fairy and it might even spark some of their own curiosity about how other cultures view tooth losing as a child like it did for me when I read this book.

[Grace Bradley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book for a project on notable books and I definitely think this could win an award. This book is about a little African American girl and her family who live in Portland, Oregon and decide to visit their family from Africa. On the airplane the little girl discovers that she has a loose tooth. Her dad tells her that if you lose a tooth in Africa, they give you a chicken! She begins to wiggle her tooth and hopes to lose it in Africa. When they arrive they eat dinner with their family members partaking in the traditional African traditions at meal time. The story takes you through a series of cultural experiences that the little girl experiences for the first time and gladly accepts. Eventually she loses her tooth and waits and waits all day for a chicken and finally gets one! The chicken lays eggs and she doesn't want to leave Africa until the eggs hatch. On the last day, the eggs hatch and she is sad to leave Africa and go back to Portland. This story has extremely bright and vibrant illustrations for kids. It might be a little busy for the younger ones, but upper elementary students would really enjoy this story. I thought it incorporated the cultural traditions nicely into the story. I also really liked how they used an Americanized family traveling to their homeland as the premise of the story because that could be any of us going from our city we live in to a foreign country with completely different customs like what happens when a child loses a tooth. I highly recommend this book!

[Lisa Campbell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Categories/Genres for this class fulfilled by this book - picture book.
Estimate of age level of interest- K - 3
Estimate of reading level - 3rd grade
Brief description - Amina visits Mali with her family, and on the plane discovers that her tooth is loose! Her father tells her that in Mali when you lose your tooth, you get a chicken! Amina loses her tooth, and waits with great anticipation for her chickens to arrive.
Identify at least 2 characteristics of this genre and subgenre and discuss how they appear in your book - The pictures and text tell the story - as the text talks about Amina's trip, the pictures illustrate the meaning of "compound", what her family looks like (including what they wear), and the nature that surrounds their home. Important information for children who have only experienced their own culture.
In what ways and how well does the book as a whole serve its intended audience? As contemporary realistic fiction, it accurately represents the culture and experience of a young girl traveling to, and visiting the African village where her father grew up. For young children, it is a beautifully illustrated book about visiting family, and losing a tooth, both common experiences for young children.
Awards if any
ALA Notable Children's Book
Links to published reviews from professional sources e.g. ALA, Booklist, Kirkus, SLJ, etc. if any - School Library Journal, Booklist. https://multiculturallit.wordpress.co...

[Tedi Tsopelas · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story “I Lost My Tooth in Africa” by Penda Diakite is about a young girl named Amina who makes a trip out to Bamako, Mali to go see her father’s side of the family. When Amina discovers and tells her father that she has a loose tooth, he explains to her that if she loses it in Mali, the African Tooth Fairy will leave her a chicken. After days of exploring the culture of Mali and waiting and waiting for her tooth to fall it, it finally does and Amina waited eagerly for the tooth fairy to come. After a nap one day she discovers the chicken that the tooth fairy has left her and soon after the chicken lays eggs and doesn’t want to leave Africa until she sees them hatch. Each page of the book is carefully illustrated to match the text. With support of the illustrations, the text is able to identify the cultural elements such as the food and the way of life that is present in Bamako, Mali. The lines and shapes are drawn clearly to create a visible picture and its calming mixes of colors create depth throughout the page. I really enjoyed the different boarders around each page for it stands as a visual of the text. The narration of the story is from Amina’s perspective that does a very good job with giving the reader details about the surrounding space she is in. By writing the story in the view of the child, the author is giving perspective of what can be fun to do in Mali. Since Amina is a child who lives in Oregon, she is more predisposed to notice other cultural values and traditions when she goes to visit another country.

[Ch_jank-caporale · Rating 3 out of 5]

Penda Diakite was born in Portland, Oregon to a father from Bamako, Mali. The two have teemed up as writer/illustrator of this story based on Penda's sister, Amina, who really did lose her tooth in Africa.
Mali legend says that if you lose your tooth in Africa and put it under a calabash gourd, the tooth fairy will trade you for it with a chicken. Amina is very excited- the waiting is killing her!- and, sure enough, she receives two chickens, one male, one female, who lay eggs beneath the gourd. Just before Amina and her family leave Africe, the chicks begin to hatch.
Through colorful drawings, decorated with borders of teeth and chickens, birds and vegetables, feathers and eggs, we learn the traditions of daily life in Mali.
Baba Wague Diakite is a traditonal African storyteller who has won many awards for previous books. He wrote "The Hunterman and the Crocodile" which won a Coretta Scott King award, and also "The Magic Gourd" and "The Nutseller and the Monkeys." In this book he shares an African proverb, "Raising a child is like planting a tree. When it is tended well, you will enjoy its shade." This is how he feels about the privilege of illustrating his daughter's book, which she originally wrote when she was only eight years old.

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

This story is narrated from the perspective of a young girl named Amina from Portland, Oregon who goes on a trip to Africa with her family to visit relatives. Amina wishes to lose her tooth in Africa so that she can experience the African tradition of receiving a chicken after losing a tooth. After she ends up losing her tooth and getting a chicken, Amina describes how she takes care of her chicken and how she spends her days afterward, which eventually culminates in the birth of many chicks, which Amina is reassured will be taken of after she leaves Africa. To me, this story lacked excitement and was rather bland. I liked that it featured a culturally specific perspective of African culture and that it was narrated from a child's perspective. I think this would make it more authentic for kids and maybe even make them more interested. I think this book would be a good way to expose kids to a different culture and see how people in a different country do many things differently, however, I just didn't find it to be that engaging of a book. Overall, this could be a good book to use to teach kids about another culture, however, it is not necessarily my first choice of a book I would use for a classroom read-aloud.

[Ginta · Rating 4 out of 5]

“I Lost My Tooth in Africa” is about an American girl who travels to Africa with her family to visit relatives while there she loses her tooth, places it under a calabash (a gourd) and receives a hen and a rooster from the African Tooth Fairy.

“I Lost My Tooth in Africa” is a culturally specific book but only as it applies to Africans. Children of African descent who live in the United States would never expect to receive a chicken in exchange for a lost tooth. However, I liked the story; it is a true tale. It was written by the author when she was eight years old. I liked that it provided a window into an aspect of African culture I was not privy to. I also liked that the child was given something of true value, a living creature (an animal), as opposed to money, the tradition we have perpetuated in the United States.

My rating for this book is four stars. The story is well written. I read the story to my students and they enjoyed it. They all wanted a chicken after I completed the reading. This is great story to read with primary students to give them a glimpse into an African tradition they would otherwise not be exposed to.

[Elizabeth Leonard · Rating 3 out of 5]

This story is very relatable to all students since at some point they will all lose their baby teeth. I like how this story finds a common ground about the tooth fairy, I’m sure it will grab student’s attention. This also shows a tradition that is different for the Mali culture then American, children normally would get money from the tooth fairy not a chicken.
This book is rich in cultural details. For example once Amina gets to Africa she eats the Djaba Dji soup with her family, the recipe is also very creatively included in the back of the book. Also throughout the story Amina would say things in the national language of Mali called Bambara. There is also a glossary of these words in the back of the text. An example of how she uses this language would be when she is leaving Africa she says, “Kawn-bay to the mango tree, kawn-bay to the little creek, kawn-bay to Africa”. In the glossary I find that kawn-bay means good-bye.
Along with the text the illustrations show a different culture as well. The pictures of the houses she is staying in look quite different then houses you would see in Portland Oregon. The illustrations are done very well and add to the quality of the book.

[Erica Cowhick · Rating 3 out of 5]

A girl named Amina lives in Portland, Oregon and is flying to Africa to visit her father's family. Before they arive in Amina, Amina notices that she has a wiggly tooth. If you lose a tooth in Africa and put it under a gourd, then you will get a chicken from the African Tooth Fairy! This book talks about several of the cultural things that are done in Africa such as: sleeping on a bamboo bed, greeting grandma and recieve blessings, and playing different African games. Amina lost her tooth and put it under her pillow to discover that she now has two chickens!Amina takes care of the chickens while she was in Africa, but then has to say goodbye to the chickens when her family goes home.

Activities
1. The children can create a venn diagram of similarities and differences in the two countries: Africa and America.
2. The students can have a roundtable discussion of some of the different cultural differences in Africa. This is called a roundtable dicussion and gives the students a chance to talk about what intrigues, bothers, and confuses them.

[Alexandria · Rating 4 out of 5]

I Lost my Tooth in Africa, is picture book about a young girl named Amina who loses her tooth while visiting relatives in Mali, Africa. The story allows readers to make comparisons between tooth traditions in the United States and those of Africa. Readers of this story learn that instead of receiving money for a tooth (like in America), individuals from Africa place their tooth under a gourd, in hopes that the African tooth fairy will bring them laying hens. This book definitely merits the honor award because it fosters an awareness and understanding for people who seem different from the reader as well as introduces readers to the literary traditions of different world cultures (Tunnell, 193), which is absolutely an area that we need to introduce our students to in the classroom. A fun activity for students to do relating to this book would be to have them research their family backgrounds and make a short presentation to the class (including where their family originated from, different traditions they may have had, food they ate, etc.).

[Brittni Hover]

This is a great book about little Amina wanting to lose her tooth that is loose while in Africa. She wants to lose it there so she can put it under a gourd for the tooth fairy. She would then get two chickens. She was lucky enough to lose her tooth in Africa, she received the two chickens, and then to her surprise the chickens laid eggs. She loves that this has happened as is so excited about it. She is sad to leave because she doesn’t think the eggs had hatched. She went to so goodbye, and the eggs had hatched. This story is in the multicultural category because it takes place in Africa.

The writing trait in this story would be organization. The story is very well organized and can tell what is going to happen next. It closes with a resolution to the problem of the little girl thinking the eggs weren’t going to hatch before she left. This book could fit into a lesson plan when the students are learning about Africa. This could be the anticipatory set in the lesson plan, and then a discussion could follow. This is a level 3.0 book.

[Betsy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This fictional narrative takes you on an adventure as the main character, Amina, loses her tooth while visiting her family in Mali. She is pleasantly surprised to learn how the tradition of the tooth fairy is different there from how it is in her home of Portland, Oregon.

As a teacher I would use this book to compare and contrast different traditions and culture. Amina sleeps in a bamboo bed and brushes her teeth by the papaya tree to not waste the water. The students could use this as a writing prompt to discuss how their lives might be different if they grew up in different parts of the world.

Because this is a true story that happened to the author's sister and to the illustrator's daughter, they do a great job of retelling the story with charm and details. There are also many native words in the book and a glossary is included in the back, along with a recipe to cook an item of food mentioned in the story (Aunt Kadja's Djaba Dji- African Onion Sauce.)

[Nicoll Blomquist · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not all tooth fairies are the same. A little girl and her family travel to Africa to visit her dad's family. On the way there she discovers a loose tooth. Her dad tells her all about the African tooth fairy. While we here, in America, expect the tooth fairy to leave us small cash tokens the tooth fairy in Africa leaves a chicken. The little girl in this story hides her tooth but thinks the tooth fairy has forgotten about her. When she decides to take her tooth back she is pleasantly surprised to find a chicken. Her extended family in Africa agrees to take care of her chicken until she can come back to visit again.

This book is great for younger readers. They can identify with the main characters excitement over losing a tooth. It excites me to say they will also get a lesson in African culture. They get a glimpse into the everyday African life as well as some of their customs.

[Maddi Hurrle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amina and her family travel to Mali, West Africa to visit her family. And she wants nothing more than to lose her tooth while she's there. There is a popular belief that if she loses her tooth there and stashes it under a gourd the tooth fairy will trade in her tooth for two chickens! This entertaining and insightful children's book is based off a true story that occurred when the author's sister visited Mali. This book is not only educational but a fun read aloud for all with the video illustrations and the way it gives a peek into traditional West African life.

I definitely enjoyed reading this book and found myself learning a little bit more with each page I turned. This is a great book for every library and should be shared with children of all cultures so they can discover those that are unlike their own.

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

When Amina and her family leave Portland to visit family in Mali in West Africa, she is amazed at all the chickens everywhere. Because she longs for a chicken of her own, she keeps hoping that her loose tooth will finally come out while she is abroad. After all, she knows that if she puts that tooth under a gourd, she will find a chicken there in return. At least that's what the locals tell her. When it comes to pass, the chickens lay eggs, and Amina wonders if they could possibly hatch before she returns home. This delightful picture book is culturally rich, drenched in vivid colors and illustrations as well as filled with vocabulary that will remind readers of the book's setting and enhance its authenticity. The story is told appealingly by the illustrator's twelve-year-old daughter. Readers will feel as though they, too, just returned from a trip across the ocean.