Seven Spools of Thread

January 1, 2001
This story is based on the seven principles of Kwanzaa. Seven quarrelsome brothers from a small Ghanaian village are a source of disappointment to their father. When he dies, he leaves his sons a challenge to earn his inheritance. They must work together to make gold out of silk thread; if they argue and fail, they receive nothing. Vibrant linoleum block prints accompany the rhythmic text, which concludes with instructions on weaving Kente-style cloth.

(Copyright 2001 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

September 15, 2000
Ages 5-8. In " The Seven Days of Kwanzaa: How "to Celebrate Them (1994), the author offered ideas, including crafts and recipes, for celebrating the cultural holiday. This latest title is an original folktale that will help introduce children to the holiday's seven principles, while also suggesting how Kente cloth was first created. In a Ghanian village, a father's will commands that his seven argumentative sons must make gold from silk thread "by the time the moon rises," without fighting. Working together, the brothers create a tapestry of Kente cloth, the first multicolored cloth the village has seen, which they sell to the king's treasurer for gold, before returning to their village to farm and live harmoniously. Well-paced, the story incorporates the Kwanzaa values without spelling them out too much. Minter's attractively composed, dramatic painted linocuts, with strong community images and lively, silhouetted figures, root the story in a sun-drenched, magical landscape that will draw children even after repeated readings. An introductory section, with glossary and pronunciation guide explaining the principles, and an appended craft activity round out the volume.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2000, American Library Association.)