Module 12: Nelson Mandela - Biography and Autobiography

Book Summary:

This book is a beautiful picture biography of Nelson Mandela.  The Kadir Nelson, who is both author and illustrator uses simple text and full page illustrations to tell the about the life of Nelson Mandela. He was sent to a live with a powerful chief when he was nine years old.  Mandela was educated and became a lawyer and he used his skills to defend those in need without a voice. Apartheid policy was created and South Africa became a divided country where individuals were not treated with equality. Mandela began to fight against this policy and began to look for a way to change the government and this harmful way of thinking.  He was imprisoned  for over twenty- seven years for his beliefs and stance that change needed to occur for peace to reign in South Africa.  When he was released he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize and he was elected the President of South Africa.

APA Reference:

Nelson, K. (2013). Nelson Mandela. New York, NY: Katherine Tegen Books.

Impressions:

Kadir Nelson's painting of Nelson Mandela on the front cover is awe-inspiring and the eyes are brilliant as they reflect  wisdom, love and humanity. I don't know if it was Kadir Nelson's idea or his editor to just have the face on Mandela without the title or other text, but it is a powerful and moving cover.  The title and author are on the back of the book and I wish they would have put the award medal on the back so that it did not distract from the painting.  Nelson Mandela wanted human equality and he was not afraid to stand up for his beliefs. He fought against the unfairness of apartheid.  He was an educated man who spoke out against the injustices towards blacks in South Africa.  He was imprisoned but he never gave up the hope that all people would have equal rights. Winnie, his wife was amazing.  She raised their children alone while he was in prison for twenty-seven and a half years.  He became the president of South Africa about four years later.


Professional Review:

An inspirational ode to the life of the great South African leader by an award-winning author and illustrator. Mandela's has been a monumental life, a fact made clear on the front cover, which features an imposing, full-page portrait. The title is on the rear cover. His family gave him the Xhosa name Rolihlahla, but his schoolteacher called him Nelson. Later, he was sent to study with village elders who told him stories about his beautiful and fertile land, which was conquered by European settlers with more powerful weapons. Then came apartheid, and his protests, rallies and legal work for the cause of racial equality led to nearly 30 years of imprisonment followed at last by freedom for Mandela and for all South Africans. "The ancestors, / The people, / The world, / Celebrated." Nelson's writing is spare, poetic, and grounded in empathy and admiration. His oil paintings on birch plywood are muscular and powerful. Dramatic moments are captured in shifting perspectives; a whites-only beach is seen through a wide-angle lens, while faces behind bars and faces beaming in final victory are masterfully portrayed in close-up. A beautifully designed book that will resonate with children and the adults who wisely share it with them.

Nelson Mandela (2012).  Kirkus Reviews, 80(23), 59.

Library Uses:

This would be a great title to introduce biographies to students.  A chapter biography book can be daunting for some students to read.  There are some wonderful picture book biographies that could be used to introduce students to this classification.