Grandfather's Work- A Traditional Healer in Nigeria

Grandfather's Work- A Traditional Healer in Nigeria

Written By- Ifeoma Onyefulu

Published By- Millbrook Press, Inc.

Genre- Non Fiction/ Informational

Grade Level- 3-6



Have you ever wondered what jobs people might have in another country? Have you ever wondered what types of medicine are available to them? Have you ever wondered how someone’s life in a country far away may have a life similar to our own? In the book “Grandfather’s Work,” the author takes the reader on a journey into Nigeria to give them a peek into the working life of this family. Read this book for an experience you can only get if you visit Nigeria.

            The author of this book describes all of his family’s line of work. For example his grandmother is a seamstress, his father is a teacher, his mother is a baker, his uncle carves things out of wood, his other uncle is a lawyer, his other aunt makes things out of pottery, he has another uncle that is a blacksmith, and one of his aunts is a doctor. The author is extremely proud of his grandfather who is an organic healer. He makes medicine out of roots, flower, tress, etc. Some of the plants that his grandfather uses are actually used by scientists to make medication that people use all over the world!

            A great aspect of this book is the real photographs. The reader can see a real doctor from Nigeria and compare her to their regular doctor. This book has photographs that show the herbs and roots that the grandfather uses to heal people. The author wrote about his own family, so he is an expert on the topic. He has an informational section at the end of the book about the medication that his grandfather treats patients with. These photographs give an insight into the culture of the Nigerian people. The text correlates well with the photographs. This book is easy to comprehend and is full of valuable information that is very organized. The author in “Grandfather’s Work” is very enthusiastic about how proud he is of his family. Children will be surprised that in countries that are far away like Nigeria they have doctors, teachers, bakers, etc. and it shows that our lives are similar to there’s.

            This book is non fiction because it is based on the author’s real family. The medication that the grandfather uses is defined in a glossary in the back of the book. The real photographs show the reader what life is like in Nigeria. I would use this book in a fourth grade class when they are learning about different cultures and countries in the world. The text in the story is easy to comprehend so the students will easily grasp the concepts of the book. This book can lead to class discussion about comparing and contrasting jobs in Nigeria to jobs in the United States. I think this book will have the reader think critically about what it may be like to live in a different country.

           

             Overall this is a great informational book to read to a class. This book will broaden a student’s knowledge of different cultures, people, places, etc. The text is easy to read and the pictures enhance the reader’s experience. I would defiantly use this book in my classroom during a social studies class. I could also use this book during an English class and assign a writing assignment. Reading this book and having a discussion after will be a fun way for the students to learn. In the sixth grade the student have to learn all about Africa in social studies. This book would be a perfect way to step away from text books and learn from the author’s real life perspective.

Grade 6 Learning Standards ______________________________________________________________________________ Africa

Algeria, Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Congo, Côte d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Djibouti, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mayotte (Fr.), Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Reunion (Fr.), Rwanda, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Africa, Sudan, Swaziland, Tanzania, Togo, Tunisia, Uganda, Western Sahara, Zambia, Zimbabwe A.1 On a map of the world, locate the continent of Africa, the Atlantic Ocean, the Indian Ocean, the Mediterranean Sea, and the Great Rift Valley. On a map of Africa, locate the northern, eastern, western, central, and southern regions of Africa, the Sahara Desert, the Nile River, Lake Victoria, Mount Kilimanjaro, and the Cape of Good Hope. (G) A.2 Use a map key to locate countries and major cities in Africa. (G, E) A.3 Explain how the following five factors have influenced settlement and the economies of major African regions and countries. (G, E) A.  absolute and relative locations B.  climate C.  major physical characteristics D.  major natural resources E.  population size A.4 Identify when modern African countries became independent nations and explain how independence was achieved. (H, G) Optional Topics for Study  ·         Describe the general level of education in selected countries in Africa and its relationship to the economy. (G, H, E) ·         Describe the political and social status of women in selected countries in Africa. (G, H, E) ·         Describe major ethnic and religious groups in various countries in Africa. (G, H, E)  ·         Explain how drought and desertification affect parts of Africa. (G, E) ·         Explain how the physical features of Africa south of the Sahara have affected transportation and communication networks. (G, E) ·         Describe the major obstacles to economic development in many African nations, including linguistic, tribal, and religious diversity; corrupt government; the lack of widespread education; and the political boundaries established in the 19th century by European nations and the legacy of their rule. (G, H, C, E) ·         Identify the locations and time periods of the sub-Saharan empires of Ghana, Mali, and Songhay. (H, G)