Nelson Mandela - Kadir Nelson

Illustrated by the author

2013, Katherine Tegen Books, Harper Collins

HC $17.99 Carlisle's Bosler Library

40 pages

Goodreads rating: 4.20

My rating: 4/ (the illustrations are a definite 5)

Endpapers: deep cranberry

Title Page: No illustration, bold information on dark brown/tribal design background

Illustrations: Glorious!

2-page information and photo at the end of the book

Note:  I wish there had been a glossary/pronunciation guide, there were enough words to warrant one, perhaps this would be a good thing for my students to create after reading the book...

1^st line: " Rolihahla played barefooted/on the grassy hills of Qunu."

Goodreads:  One day when Nelson Mandela was nine years old, his father died and he was sent from his village to a school far away from home, to another part of South Africa. In Johannesburg, the country's capital, Mandela saw fellow Africans who were poor and powerless. He decided then that he would work to protect them. When the government began to keep people apart based on the color of their skin, Mandela spoke out against the law and vowed to fight hard in order to make his country a place that belonged to all South Africans.

My comments on Goodreads:  Kadir Nelson's illustrations, as usual, are incredible.  The cover is amazing.  This is the story of Nelson Mandela's life, but it seems a little spotty, starting with his earliest years (which was new-to-me information and really interesting), then jumping ahead, flying through his jail years, jumping ahead again....  I read this aloud to my 6-year old granddaughter and will read it to my fourth graders, and there are places that I felt I had to fill in information, or do some extra explaining.  Otherwise, I really loved this book.

MOVIE - Invictus

Wonderful movie - even if you don't have a clue about RUGBY
Released 12-11-09
PG-13 (I have no idea why)
2 hrs. 12 minutes
Wed. 3-24-10 at Crossroads, just me
RT: 76 cag: 86
Director: Clint Eastwood
Morgan Freeman, Matt Damon

What a totally engrossing, historically important movie. I have always admired Nelson Mandela, and this movie puts the viewer into his back pocket. After 27 years in prison he is released and becomes the president of South Africa, ending apartheid, at a time when there is extreme hate and distrust between blacks and whites. This movie gives some insight into his thinking, his forgiveness, his magnificent mind. The only thing it does not tell us much about is the relationship (or non-relationship) with his family. Morgan Freeman BECAME Mandela. Both men are wonderful and amazing.

Even though there is a great deal of rugby action, you don't have to understand rugby to understand what is going on. And, to tell the truth, I now have an idea about the game! It's similar to football, but the player's only protection seems to be tooth guards. Amazing in this day of helmets and shoulder/shin guards and safety, safety, safety.

Matt Damon plays the captain of South Africa's rugby team, whom Mandela enlists to help in his quest to unify the country. Hair dyed blonde, South African accent in tow, he nailed this part. You watch him slowly come to understand and admire Mandela. And you watch the country slowly start to come together a bit, whether it be the black and white presidential body guards or a young black boy sidling up closer and closer to a cop car with its radio tuned to the final world cup game, just outside the rugby stadium where it's being played.

Bravo, Clint Eastwood....this movie was beautifully put together. My only problem was a personal one - I couldn't understand some of the rich South African accents, which was really frustrating in a couple of places. I wanted to rewind, which was impossible, of course.

Wonderful movie.

And, hey...this is my 600th post. Pretty cool....