Amina Blackwood Meeks Ph. D. Livres

Girls empowerment! Makeda is on a journey. It is one on which she learns and in turn teaches those who share in her story, about the power of example. Her teacher, her mother, her grandmother, her knowledge of the Caribbean and subliminal images from the media work together to convince Makeda that she is a nation-builder. She demonstrates an awareness of the meaning and magic of national symbols which makes us want to be around to witness how she grows into adulthood, and to inhabit the world that she has helped to create.

Don't Hurt That Bird follows Johnny's journey into the Blue and John Crow Mountains, now a UNESCO inscribed World Heritage Site. There he learns the sacredness of all life by way of the revered legend of Nanny. Through this story, told by his grandfather, Johnny comes to appreciate that all living things are connected. He gets a glimpse at the secrets our environment holds about our history and culture. He resolves not just to give up bird-hunting but to find "better use for his slingshot". Don't Hurt That Bird is the second publication in the series Amina's Children.

Johnny is never shy of asking questions or exploring his roots to the motherland Africa. He finds the perfect answers in his Grandpa’s story of Great Spirit and Mongoose, and their quest to create the last animal on earth. Incorporating catchy rhymes, Jamaican folklore and that all-purpose Jamaican coffee, Johnny follows Grandpa and Mongoose along a journey of discovery. Great Spirit and Mongoose, Grandpa and Johnny are all contented with the final creation that celebrates our heritage and moves Great Spirit to declare, “Black people pretty, sah!”