.
REVIEW
Part of the Time Line series, Lion of Africa, set in 1976, engages with the South African apartheid and follows the events of Nelson Mandela’s imprisonment from the perspective of a prison guard, John, who has been told that Mandela is a very dangerous prisoner.
This is an excellent book to have in any children’s book collection for many reasons: 1) It provides an introduction to the history of South Africa beginning with the Dutch colonisation in the 16th century up until 1994 when the apartheid was abolished. 2) It is a graphic novel (comic book) which many young readers will find easily accessible. 3) Because of its format, this book will appeal to readers who may not like reading novels. 4) Fuses fact with fiction in order to make Mandela’s and South Africa’s story more engaging – particularly to those who may express a lack of interest in world history. 5) It documents how restricted and frightening life was in South Africa for non-whites and the book supports its fictional representations with historical and photographic accounts. 6) It teaches readers about Sharpeville Massacre, the Bantustans (designated ‘homelands’ for non-whites), passbooks, the 1976 shooting of the Soweto children, and provides an account of Mandela’s 27 years in prison.
Lion of Africa is well written, researched and illustrated. Both writer, Mary Jennifer Payne, and illustrator, Leo Lingas, have put together a wonderful graphic novel which not only makes learning about the South African apartheid and Mandela engaging but ensures that readers of all kinds have access to a very important moment in world history. An important addition to any library.
(Review from http://www.writeaway.org.uk)
