Going to Ghana

by Christine Platt

Ana & Andrew are going to Ghana! Papa is travelling to Ghana and the family gets to go too! Ana & Andrew love learning about Ghanaian culture, especially the food! While there, they visit Cape Coast Castle to honor their ancestors. There, they learn about the origins of the slave trade. Aligned to Common Core Standards and correlated to state standards.

Genres: Fiction, Cultural

32 pages, Paperback

Published January 1, 2020

About the author

Christine A. Platt is a historian and storyteller of the African diaspora. She holds a B.A. in Africana Studies from the University of South Florida, M.A. in African Studies from The Ohio State University and received her J.D. from Stetson University College of Law.

Her debut novel, The Truth About Awiti, was published under the penname CP Patrick and won the 2016 Independent Publisher Book Awards Gold Medal for Multicultural Fiction. The Truth About Awiti is currently used in high schools, colleges and universities to teach the history of the trans-Atlantic slave trade. Christine’s highly anticipated children series, Ana & Andrew, will be published on December 15, 2018 (ABDO Books/Calico Kids).

Christine currently serves as the Managing Director of the Antiracist Research & Policy Center at American University under the leadership of National Book Award-winning author, Dr. Ibram X. Kendi. She is a proud member of the Association of Black Women Historians and the Association for the Study of African American Life and History. Additionally, she is an Ambassador for Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture.

You can follow Christine on Instagram via @theafrominimalist, where she interacts with thousands of friends and fans on minimalism and, of course, books.

Reviews

[Kendall Santoro]

Author Christine Platt and illustrator Junissa Bianda wonderfully depict Ghanaian culture in this exciting children’s book. Aimed for elementary students, the titular characters travel with their family to Ghana, exploring facets of the culture such as food, language, and history. It touches on complex topics like the transatlantic slave trade and Ana and Andrew’s African ancestry in a way that’s easy for children to understand. This is a great option for educators looking to gently introduce historical issues to their students as well as encouraging curiosity and acceptance about different cultures.

[Sawad]

I really appreciate what this book is trying to do - and my child was SO excited to see this book at the library. However there are some inaccuracies which are just jarring.

In the entire book (about going to Ghana), there is one flag which is the South African flag. Why is this flag in there when there is no mention of South Africa in the book?! It's quite odd and misleading for younger readers who may not know what the flag of Ghana looks like. That's one correction that needs to be made.

Also as I have Ghanaian family members, none of them have come across the so called 'popsicles' filled with cookies which are said to be Ghanaian dessert. Jollof is mentioned (great!) and fufu (awesome!), but where are these popsicles coming from?

Also, the name of the professor featured in the story translates into English as 'Friday Monday.' (translated into English) I appreciate trying to use Ghanaian day names, but they should have been used CORRECTLY. No one's name has both days of the week in it, as you only have the day of the week you born on.

All in all, I wish that the publisher would have had someone from Ghana read the book before printing it. There are a few other small things but I won't go into all of that here.

A great effort and idea, but the execution sadly is lacking.

[Mary Bilbrey]

In the book "Ana & Andrew Going to Ghana," by Christine Platt, the children in the book learn about the importance of their heritage through a trip to where their ancestors came from. They visit Cape Coast Castle, and they learn about the origins of the slave trade.

[AMY]

32 pgs. Loved this story of the family visiting Ghana. Many cultural things were discussed, including food. The kids have a good time visiting. They also learn about the history of slavery. Kids will learn a lot and enjoy this book. Highly recommended for Grades 2-3.

[Neha Vishnuprem]

Adventurous book

[Sasha]

Read this one to the kids. It’s got four tiny “chapters”. It’s an ok book, nothing terribly outstanding. It’s a story of an American family, and it is mildly educational. The author is not that great of a story teller, just ok.

[Vy Nguyễn]

a fun, easy-to-understand introduction to Ghana for children. Besides, the story does a good job in evoking respect for ancestors in them.