Here are 100 books that The Gabi That Girma Wore fans have personally recommended if you like The Gabi That Girma Wore. Book DNA is a community of 12,000+ authors and super readers sharing their favorite books with the world.

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Book cover of The Quilts of Gee's Bend

Anne O'Brien Carelli Author Of Scribble, Spin, Swirl, and Stitch: Crafts Around the World

From my list on multicultural crafts.

Why am I passionate about this?

My latest picture book was conceived when I participated in art fairs as a weaver and quilter. I was struck by how each craft, whether it be woodworking, metallurgy, glassblowing, pottery, etc., had a unique vocabulary and origins in many different cultures. My goal is to cultivate appreciation of the work of artisans around the world who are carrying on cultural traditions. I also saw an opportunity to expand vocabulary by sharing the language of the crafts, and to encourage children to think about a craft they may want to try. It is my hope that art teachers, parents and grandparents, artisans, and lovers of crafts will enjoy sharing this inspirational book.

Anne's book list on multicultural crafts

Anne O'Brien Carelli Why Anne loves this book

This biographical picture book tells the story of quilts made by hand by the women of Gee’s Bend, Alabama. The traditional quilts, made from scraps of cloth from clothing and cornmeal sacks, are now displayed in museums around the world.

The author does a beautiful job of showing how a family tradition has developed into spectacular works of art. Readers can see how important it is to maintain traditions that may have started for practical purposes (like staying warm!) but evolved into appreciation of the works of unknown artisans. The author includes instructions on how to make a quilt square.

By Susan Goldman Rubin ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Quilts of Gee's Bend as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 8, 9, 10, and 11.

What is this book about?

Since the early nineteenth century, the women of Gee's Bend in southern Alabama have created stunning, vibrant quilts. In the only photo-essay book about the quilts of Gee's Bend for children, award-winning author Susan Goldman Rubin explores the history and culture of this fascinating group of women and their unique quilting traditions. Rubin uses meticulous research to offer an exclusive look at an important facet of African American art and culture.

In the rural community of Gee's Bend, African American women have been making quilts for generations. They use scraps of old overalls, aprons, and bleached cornmeal sacks anything they…


If you love The Gabi That Girma Wore...

Book cover of The Monkey Stones

The Monkey Stones by Michele Sheldon,

Three friends become caught up in a monkey-worshipping cult when a stone circle suddenly appears overnight next to their home.

The cult is headed by famous racing driver Gordon Smash who disappeared in the Amazon rainforest in the 90s after a stunt went badly wrong. Alongside space tech billionaire Micky…

Book cover of Lonely Planet Kids Around the World Craft and Design Book

Anne O'Brien Carelli Author Of Scribble, Spin, Swirl, and Stitch: Crafts Around the World

From my list on multicultural crafts.

Why am I passionate about this?

My latest picture book was conceived when I participated in art fairs as a weaver and quilter. I was struck by how each craft, whether it be woodworking, metallurgy, glassblowing, pottery, etc., had a unique vocabulary and origins in many different cultures. My goal is to cultivate appreciation of the work of artisans around the world who are carrying on cultural traditions. I also saw an opportunity to expand vocabulary by sharing the language of the crafts, and to encourage children to think about a craft they may want to try. It is my hope that art teachers, parents and grandparents, artisans, and lovers of crafts will enjoy sharing this inspirational book.

Anne's book list on multicultural crafts

Anne O'Brien Carelli Why Anne loves this book

It’s difficult to find books for children that accurately depict crafts from different cultures. This book provides instructions and detailed illustrations of crafts such as matryoshka dolls, hamsa, Wayun mochilas, and Adinkra prints.

It would be a wonderful companion to Scribble, Spin, Swirl, and Stitch as children explore crafts around the world and think about what they would like to create.

By Lonely Planet Kids , Laura Baker , Kait Eaton

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Lonely Planet Kids Around the World Craft and Design Book as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 6, 7, and 8.

What is this book about?

From Japanese origami and Native American dream catchers to totem poles and Russian dolls, children can discover, draw and build objects from cultures around the world

From Japanese origami and Native American dream catchers to totem poles and Russian dolls, children can discover, draw and build objects from cultures around the world. Craft projects can be made from easy-to-source materials and include illustrated step-by-step instructions, while design projects provide sketching pages and guidance to encourage kids to create their own unique and exciting ideas.


Book cover of Made By Hand: A Crafts Sampler

Anne O'Brien Carelli Author Of Scribble, Spin, Swirl, and Stitch: Crafts Around the World

From my list on multicultural crafts.

Why am I passionate about this?

My latest picture book was conceived when I participated in art fairs as a weaver and quilter. I was struck by how each craft, whether it be woodworking, metallurgy, glassblowing, pottery, etc., had a unique vocabulary and origins in many different cultures. My goal is to cultivate appreciation of the work of artisans around the world who are carrying on cultural traditions. I also saw an opportunity to expand vocabulary by sharing the language of the crafts, and to encourage children to think about a craft they may want to try. It is my hope that art teachers, parents and grandparents, artisans, and lovers of crafts will enjoy sharing this inspirational book.

Anne's book list on multicultural crafts

Anne O'Brien Carelli Why Anne loves this book

This book consists of a series of stories that show how crafts from the past were designed and created. The book invites readers to appreciate the time, effort, and care that went into making objects such as toys and tools without machinery. I have included this book because it emphasizes the satisfaction of creating treasures by hand.

By Carole Lexa Schaefer , Becca Stadtlander (illustrator) ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Made By Hand as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 8, 9, 10, and 11.

What is this book about?

A beautiful, one-of-a-kind volume invites readers to marvel at the time, effort, and care that went into creating handmade toys, tools, and treasures of the past.

Whirr, buzz, hum. Before busy machines in factories turned out most of what we need and use, people crafted these items by hand. From a globe to a pie crimper, a butter churn to a rocking horse, this unique collection highlights fourteen one-of-a-kind objects β€” each one drafted, stitched, painted, or engraved by hand. Author Carole Lexa Schaefer draws inspiration from real historical artifacts to create thirteen short works of fiction, imagining the hands…


If you love Fasika Adefris...

Book cover of A Foot is Not a Fish!

A Foot is Not a Fish! by Cornelia Maude Spelman,

In a time of alternative facts and the loss of a shared sense of reality, A Foot is Not a Fish playfully illustrates the difference between what is true and what is not through absurd fun comparisons that every childβ€”and parentβ€”will instantly understand.

This book playfully illustrates common truths by…

Book cover of The Weaver's Surprise

Anne O'Brien Carelli Author Of Scribble, Spin, Swirl, and Stitch: Crafts Around the World

From my list on multicultural crafts.

Why am I passionate about this?

My latest picture book was conceived when I participated in art fairs as a weaver and quilter. I was struck by how each craft, whether it be woodworking, metallurgy, glassblowing, pottery, etc., had a unique vocabulary and origins in many different cultures. My goal is to cultivate appreciation of the work of artisans around the world who are carrying on cultural traditions. I also saw an opportunity to expand vocabulary by sharing the language of the crafts, and to encourage children to think about a craft they may want to try. It is my hope that art teachers, parents and grandparents, artisans, and lovers of crafts will enjoy sharing this inspirational book.

Anne's book list on multicultural crafts

Anne O'Brien Carelli Why Anne loves this book

It was such a delight to find a picture book that teaches about a craft while telling a sweet story. As a man weaves a rug in his cottage, a family of mischievous mice gnaw away at the threads, creating a hole in the rug.

When they discover what they have done, they figure out a way to repair the hole and surprise the weaver. The tools of the trade are illustrated at the conclusion of this charming book.

By Tom Knisely , Megan Lloyd-Thompson (illustrator) ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Weaver's Surprise as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 3, 4, 5, and 6.

What is this book about?

What happens when a family of mice moves into a weaver's cottage for the winter? Will they tuck into his woven cloth for a long winter's nap? Will the weaver discover their presence, and if he does, what will he do?

This enchanting tale is spun by master weaver Tom Knisely, author of several instructional weaving books including Weaving Rag Rugs, Handwoven Table Linens, Handwoven Baby Blankets, and his latest, Huck Lace Weaving Patterns with Color and Weave Effects. Told in compassionate detail, the story makes you wonder, has Tom had personal experience with tiny curious visitors?

Illustrated by Megan…


Book cover of Last Gate of the Emperor

Catherine Egan Author Of Sneaks

From my list on middle-grade sci fi – with bonus aliens.

Why am I passionate about this?

When I was bored or stressed out at school as a kid, I used to pretend that I was an alien posing as a person and that I’d come to earth to learn about humans. It was fun and helped me to relax. (Look, we all have our own ways of relaxing, I don’t know why β€œpretending to be an alien” isn’t on more self-care lists these days). Given my tendency to drift toward other worlds, it’s amazing that it took me so long to write a book featuring aliens! The trouble-making Sneaks provide the action in my most recent MG book, which also deals with very real middle-school struggles with friendships and family.  

Catherine's book list on middle-grade sci fi – with bonus aliens

Catherine Egan Why Catherine loves this book

Funny and fast-paced, this story of a boy and his bionic cat will charm avid sci-fi fans and reluctant readers alike. Did I mention the bionic cat? Besa is the star, as far as I’m concerned. Protagonist Yared skips school (with his bionic cat!) to take part in an augmented reality tournament and finds himself at the center of a massive galactic war. Intricate world-building influenced by Ethiopian legend, a tight plot, and an engaging lead trio (including: bionic cat!) make this a delightful read. 

I loved Yared’s voice! Few readers will be able to resist his charm and humor. I certainly couldn’t.

The Aliens: The Werari – terrifying golden-eyed alien invaders with a bionic monster, the Bulgu.

By Kwame Mbalia , Prince Joel Makonnen ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Last Gate of the Emperor as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 8, 9, 10, and 11.

What is this book about?

From Kwame Mbalia and Prince Joel David Makonnen comes
an action-packed Afrofuturist adventure about a mythical Ethiopian
empire. Sci-fi and fantasy combine in this epic journey to the
stars.

Yared Heywat lives an isolated life in Addis Prime
- a hardscrabble city with rundown tech, lots of rules,
and not much to do. His worrywart Uncle Moti and bionic lioness
Besa are his only family... and his only friends.

Often in trouble for his thrill-seeking antics and smart mouth,
those same qualities make Yared a star player of the underground
augmented reality game, The Hunt for Kaleb's Obelisk. But
when…


Book cover of The Ethiopian Orthodox Tawahido Church

Vince L. Bantu Author Of Those for Whom the Lamp Shines: The Making of Egyptian Ethnic Identity in Late Antiquity

From my list on Christianity in Africa before colonialism.

Why am I passionate about this?

I have had a love for the early Church in Africa since I took a trip to Egypt when I was in seminary. Since then, I’ve had a chance to visit all of the countries on the continent with ancient churches. It is my greatest joy to share what I learn with my students and any anyone else who will listen. I research and teach in the area of early African Christianity at Fuller Theological Seminary and the Meachum School of Haymanot. I have published two monographs on this topic and hold a doctoral degree in languages and literatures of Northeastern Africa during Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages. 

Vince's book list on Christianity in Africa before colonialism

Vince L. Bantu Why Vince loves this book

Ethiopian Christianity is a rich and diverse phenomenon that has a nuanced history.Β So many books on the history of this ancient Church are highly specialized and not accessible to popular audiences.Β 

Ephraim Isaac’s book is the best overview of Ethiopian Christian history and practice that I have ever seen. ItΒ introduces the history of the Church and helpfully focuses on different aspects of worship, organization, and social engagement.

I refer back to this book often as it is so full of useful information, and I find new information every time.

By Ephraim Isaac ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Ethiopian Orthodox Tawahido Church as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Ethiopia is an extraordinary symbol of continuity amid a restive and crisis-ridden world. In a few decades, Africa has passed from colonialism, to modernity, to a congress of now largely independent black powers, whose views and votes are at long last heeded on the floor of the global parliament of nations. The capital of Ethiopia is also the headquarters of both the United Nations mission to the continent and of the indigenous continental African union. Ethiopia is unique, not only in the antiquity of her continuous religious and political history, but also in the ever accelerating involvement of the nation…


If you love The Gabi That Girma Wore...

Book cover of Jurassic Girl: The Adventures of Mary Anning, Paleontologist and the First Female Fossil Hunter

Jurassic Girl by Michele C. Hollow,

Not too many people know about Mary Anning. In 1811, at age 12, Mary lived on the Jurassic Coast where she unearthed a 17-foot fossil.

Many of the men in the scientific community called her a fraud. They didn’t believe a girl from a poor family could make such a…

Book cover of Of One Blood

Benjamin Reiss Author Of The Showman and the Slave: Race, Death, and Memory in Barnum's America

From my list on making you rethink 19th-century America.

Why am I passionate about this?

I am fascinated by historical figures who were deemed marginal, outcast, or eccentric and also by experiences (like sleep or madness) that usually fall beneath historical scrutiny. I am drawn to nineteenth-century literature and history because I find such a rich store of strange and poignant optimism and cultural experimentation dwelling alongside suffering, terror, and despair. As a writer, I feel a sense of responsibility when a great story falls into my hands. I try to be as respectful as I can to the life behind it, while seeking how it fits into a larger historical pattern. I am always on the lookout for books that do the same!   

Benjamin's book list on making you rethink 19th-century America

Benjamin Reiss Why Benjamin loves this book

Not technically a β€œnineteenth-century” book, this 1902 novel is the most surprising work of fiction from the period that you’ll ever read.Β 

Written by a Black woman from Boston who had achieved success first as an actress and then as a magazine editor, this wild fantasy reads like a cross between the film The Black Panther and a Verdi opera. It concerns a Black physician who passes for white (until he can’t), then joins an archeological expedition to discover the remains of an ancient civilization in Ethiopia.Β 

The plot unfolds at breakneck speed, and there are so many twists you might get whiplash.Β But if you slow down and focus on the details of the story you’ll find an extraordinarily complex picture of politics, spirituality, psychology, music, history, and science.

By Pauline Hopkins ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Of One Blood as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

β€œMysticism, horror, and racial identity merge fluidly in this thrilling tale of love, obsession, and power” (Publishers Weekly) written by one of the lesser-known literary figures of the much-lauded Harlem Renaissance.

Pauline Hopkins is considered by some to be the most prolific African-American woman writer and the most influential literary editor of the first decade of the twentieth century, and Of One Blood is the last of four novels she wrote.

Mixed-race medical student Reuel Briggs doesn't give a damn about being Black and cares less for African history. When he arrives in Ethiopia on an archeological trip, his only…


Book cover of Lions Roaring Far From Home: An Anthology by Ethiopian Adoptees

Carol LaHines Author Of Distant Flickers: Stories of Identity & Loss

From my list on themed anthologies.

Why am I passionate about this?

The anthology form unites diverse voices around a common themeβ€”in the case of Distant Flickers, identity and loss. The stories in the anthology explore intense personal relationshipsβ€”of mother and child, old lovers, etc. Some of the stories are in the moment and some recounted with the perspective of time, some are fable-like, some formal, and others more colloquial. Reading them the reader is struck by the variety of approaches a writer might take to a subject. The device of the contributor’s notes enables the reader to see the story behind the story and how life informs artβ€”life furnishing the raw material or day residue of the story.  

Carol's book list on themed anthologies

Carol LaHines Why Carol loves this book

The prevailing narrative regarding adoption, at least in the U.S., is crafted by adoption professionals and adoptive parents and largely overlooks the experiences of the parties directly impactedβ€”the adoptees themselves. As an adopteeβ€”one who undertook a search for and was reunited with my first family, reassuming the name I was given at birthβ€”I am always on the lookout for the work of other adoptees. Only we truly understand what it is like to be β€œsplit” between two families, to lose our roots and culture, andβ€”perhaps most devastatingβ€”not to have our losses acknowledged. These stories, by Ethiopian adoptees, challenge traditional narratives that cast adoption as a benevolent practice, revealing the racist, classist, and colonialist roots that give rise to the modern institution. The stories speak to themes of displacement, bewilderment, and what it is like to grow up estranged from one’s culture, identity, and roots.

By Aselefech Evans (editor) , Kassaye Berhanu-MacDonald (editor) , Maureen McCauley (editor)

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Lions Roaring Far From Home as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Lions Roaring Far From Home: An Anthology by Ethiopian Adoptees includes the essays and poems of 33 writers, ages 8 to over 50, raised in six countries (the US, Canada, Sweden, France, the Netherlands, and Australia). It is the first ever anthology by Ethiopian adoptees.

This anthology shares Ethiopian adoptees’ wide range of experiences, from childhood into adulthood, through the voices of the adoptees themselves. There is more than one mention of grief, confusion, and loss. The writers also talk about their strengths, hopes, happiness, and love for family. Along with sadness and anger, there is also compassion, grace, and…


Book cover of The Best Beekeeper of Lalibela: A Tale from Africa

Christine Ieronimo Author Of A Thirst for Home: A Story of Water across the World

From my list on stories from Africa with strong protagonists.

Why am I passionate about this?

I am passionate about writing books for children that create windows to the world, teaching empathy.Β Children that are empathic grow up to be kind and compassionate adults. I write because I long for a world that is more accepting and compassionate.Β Β 

Christine's book list on stories from Africa with strong protagonists

Christine Ieronimo Why Christine loves this book

This is a story about a young girl named Almaz who dreams of becoming a beekeeper in Lalibela, Ethiopia. When she is told that beekeeping is a man’s job and that she should go back to cooking, cleaning, and gathering wood, she doesn’t give up. Instead, with the encouragement of a local priest, she becomes determined to continue toward her dream overcoming many obstacles. This is a story that is culturally accurate and gently explores gender roles in Ethiopia. In the end, Almaz’s perseverance pays off and she is welcome at the market, where she sells the best honey. I love this story also because of my love for Ethiopia, where women and girls are very strong, determined, and must overcome tremendous obstacles in daily life. I am in awe of their beauty and strength.Β Β 

By Cristina Kessler , Leonard Jenkins (illustrator) ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Best Beekeeper of Lalibela as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 5, 6, 7, and 8.

What is this book about?

In the Ethiopian mountain village of Lalibela, famous for its churches and honey, a young girl determines to find a way to be a beekeeper despite being told that is something only men can do.


If you love Fasika Adefris...

Book cover of From Cells to Ourselves: The Story of Evolution

From Cells to Ourselves by Gill Arbuthnott,

4.5 billion years ago, Earth was forming - but nothing could have survived there…

From Cells to Ourselves is the incredible story of how life on earth started and how it gradually evolved from the first simple cells to the abundance of life around us today. Walk with dinosaurs, analyse…

Book cover of Black Dove, White Raven

Christine Kindberg Author Of The Means That Make Us Strangers

From my list on the third-culture kid experience.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’m a second-generation TCK. I was born in Peru and grew up in Chile and Panama, as well as the US. My YA novel, The Means That Make Us Strangers, explores some of my own experience moving crossculturally as a teenager.

Christine's book list on the third-culture kid experience

Christine Kindberg Why Christine loves this book

I’ve been a fan of Elizabeth Wein’s since I read her bestselling YA thriller Code Name Verity, and I was thrilled to discover she herself is a TCK. In this novel, two adopted siblings (one white, one Black), move from the US to Ethiopia in the 1930s, just before Ethiopia’s war with Italy. TCKs will relate to Teo and Em’s struggle with not feeling fully at home in any one place. Like all of Elizabeth Wein’s books, there is plenty of airplane-flying adventure to keep readers on the edge of their seats!

By Elizabeth Wein ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Black Dove, White Raven as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 12, 13, 14, and 15.

What is this book about?

"Think of the sky!" Delia gave Momma's hands a shake. "Think of the sky in Ethiopia! What will it be like to fly in Africa?"

This New York Times bestseller is a story of survival, subterfuge, espionage and identity.

Rhoda and Delia are American stunt pilots who perform daring aerobatics to appreciative audiences. But while the sight of two girls wingwalking - one white, one black - is a welcome novelty in some parts of the USA, it's an anathema in others. Rhoda and Delia dream of living in a world where neither gender nor ethnicity determines their life. When…


Book cover of The Quilts of Gee's Bend
Book cover of Lonely Planet Kids Around the World Craft and Design Book
Book cover of Made By Hand: A Crafts Sampler

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Interested in Ethiopia, textiles, and multiculturalism?

Ethiopia 46 books
Textiles 18 books
Multiculturalism 58 books