Beautiful book. A great edition for any household that shares culture and knowledge we all should know.

I did not post an online review but I did give the book 4 stars on Goodreads. It doesn't show up well on a kindle paperwhite, but it seems like it is probably lovely on paper.

Gorgeously illustrated African proverbs from one of the founders of Creation of Hope.

This was a lovely collection of aphorisms from different parts of the continent accompanied by gorgeous illustrations. From the Heart of Africa would make a beautiful coffee table book. I think reading it on a kindle took away some of its aesthetic appeal for me.
The sayings were relevant; I wish the author had included more of these. I also found the author's explanations unnecessary seeing as these wise sayings could have more than one interpretation, or in the very least provide the reader an opportunity for reflection before arriving at their own conclusion.
Overall, lovely book, and for a good cause too!

This book will be a great addition to pre-K or primary library, ESL classroom and home library. The colorful images and easy to read quotes make it perfect for school, home or both.

I loved the artwork. It’s a beautiful book and I think it would be a great coffee table book.

From the Heart of Africa: A Book of Wisdom comprises of aphorisms (sayings), where they originated and their meaning, every saying accompanied by an illustration. Each illustration is the work of an individual artist, all of which have brief bios at the end of the book.

The compiler of these sayings, Eric Walters, co-founded an organisation focused on the Mbooni District in Kenya called Creation of Hope. This organisation supports orphans and a portion of the proceeds of this book will be donated to assist with the childrens’ education.

My Compassion daughter lives in Kenya so I have a soft spot for the people of this country. What I particularly like about what I’ve learned about Creation of Hope is that while its co-founder is a Canadian man, it’s a Kenyan program run by Kenyan people.

I enjoyed the sayings in this book but wanted there to be so many more. There were only 15 sayings included, most I’d heard some variation of before but also a couple that were new to me. The meanings were fairly basic and easily understood.

For me this book was all about the illustrations, the majority of which were vibrant and absolutely stunning. My personal favourite illustration was by Eugenie Fernandes and depicts the saying, “When in the middle of a river, do not insult the crocodile.” I adored the detail of the animals and the gorgeous colours. I’m no art critic but I want a copy of this illustration and I definitely need to seek out more of this artist’s work.

My two favourite sayings in the book were “Rain does not fall on one roof alone.” and “I pointed out to you the stars, but all you saw was the tip of my finger.”

Suitable for children and adults alike, this would make a beautiful addition to school and public libraries, and as a gift or coffee table book.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley (thank you so much to NetGalley and Tundra Books, an imprint of Penguin Random House Canada) in exchange for honest feedback. I’d give this book 3.5 stars, mostly due to wanting there to be many more sayings included, but am rounding up to ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.

Nice effort.

Quotable quotes:
I pointed out to you the stars, but all you saw was the tip of my finger.
There’s always a winner. Even in a monkey’s beauty contest.
Wisdom is like the baobab tree: no one person can embrace it.

An absolutely wonderful and beautiful collection of wise quotes from African peoples.

From the Heart of Africa seemed like a good start to a book. I loved the back story and end pages explaining all about how the book came to be, but there were not enough wise sayings to really make a full book. Perhaps this is just me wishing there was more African wisdom to impart!
The illustrations and real photos were amazing and I enjoyed the book, just wish there was more to it.

From the Heart of Africa: A Book of Wisdom is a short picture book that includes some sayings/proverbs/aphorisms from people groups on the African continent. As the foreword notes, since aphorisms are universal, the ones found in one region are often similar to those found in other parts of the world, but each is a unique attempt to distill life experience into a short proverb that can communicate wisdom.

Each of the fifteen sayings are illustrated by different artists -- most of whom are from African countries or Canada. The variety of styles and color schemes helps illustrate the diversity of oral cultures that these traditional sayings originate from. Each one also includes a general source (at least to the extent that this can be known), and a brief explanation of the saying.

I like how some of these sayings are familiar ("Many hands make light work"), while others seem more unique ("I pointed out to you the stars, but all you saw was the tip of my finger"). There is also a good mix of proverbs that celebrate community, along with others that encourage independence and creativity.

(Thanks to NetGalley for the review copy.)