Review sponsored* by Carole P. Roman
The Children’s Book Review | January 16, 2017
Written by Carole P. Roman
Illustrated by Mateya Arkova
Age Range: 7-10
Paperback: 78 pages
Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform (2016)
ISBN: 978-1540337276
What to expect: History, Social Studies
This latest book in award-winning author Carole P. Roman’s If You Were Me and Lived In … series is set at the height of the Mali Empire, around 1332. Readers get to experience Mali, which means hippopotamus in the Mandinka language, as a vital trade center and a world power.
Readers will learn about this civilization and what it would have been like to live as a young girl in the capital, Niani. Roman explores a vast array of things throughout the book, including faith, dwellings, family dynamics, the dry desert-like climate, food, currency, trading, and important places such as Timbuktu. There is even a visit to the royal court to see the king in his fine clothing and experience important happenings.
The purpose of this book is to become educated on the Ancient Mali Empire, however, Roman not only educates, she entertains with her fascinating storytelling that will enthrall readers. As the Mali civilization had no written language during this time period, its storytellers with long memories told history. Roman builds this into her own storytelling with skill:
“The king nodded, and your grandfather cleared his throat to start the story. He took a deep breath then began the great tale of Mandinka people. Your grandfather sang in a booming voice that he received his knowledge from his father, who learned it from his own father going back in time to when the people made their lives on the banks of the Niger River.”
If You Were Me and Lived in … the Ancient Mali Empire is yet another great addition to this delightfully illustrated edutainment series for children ages 7 and up.
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About Carole P. Roman
Carole P. Roman is the award-winning author of the Captain No Beard series. Both Captain No Beard: An Imaginary Tale of a Pirate’s Life and Captain No Beard and the Aurora Borealis have received the Kirkus Star of Exceptional Merit. The first book in the series was named to Kirkus Reviews Best 2012. Captain No Beard and the Aurora Borealis has been named to Kirkus Reviews Best of 2015. Each book in the series has won numerous awards including the NABE Pinnacle Award, IAN Award, Moonbeam Award 2014, National Indie Excellence Award Finalist, Shelf Media Outstanding Series Award, ForeWord Review Five Star and Finalist in the Book of the Year, and Reader’s Views Children’s Book of the Year 2013. Roman is also the author of the award-winning non-fiction culture series, If You Were Me and Lived in… that explores customs and cultures around the world. She has co-authored a self help book, Navigating Indieworld: A Beginners Guide to Self-Publishing and Marketing. She lives on Long Island with her husband and near her children and grandchildren.
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Dedicated Reviews allow authors and illustrators to gain prompt visibility for their work. The author of “If You Were Me and Lived in … the Ancient Mali Empire,” Carole P. Roman, paid for this non-biased review. Learn more about getting a book review …