Aisha the Navigator Trains a Leader!
by Amir Makin
A.I.C. Publications


"The older children are teaching the smaller children. The little girls are actually leaders, Aisha!"

Aisha is a young African American girl, who has a magical navigator bracelet, which takes her to any location she wishes. In this adventure, she is starting her business in handmade necklaces, when she notices another girl, Emily, being excluded from the games at the playground because she's too short to jump rope. Using her navigator bracelet, Aisha takes Emily to Africa and shows her how women and children work and play together. The children teach each other to make handmade baskets and pottery and are learning to be leaders. When the girls return to the playground, Emily uses her newly gained knowledge and confidence to make new friends, and she also introduces them to Aisha, who helps sell all of her handmade jewelry.

This picture book is one from a series of adventures of Aisha. The mission of these books is to "increase the literacy rate, promote positive advancement, and highlight diverse experiences of African Americans." The concept is inventive and teaches young girls how they can gain knowledge through education, and it shows them how other cultures around the world live and work. The author is an activist, and his message to girls of all races is that real confidence comes from within and involves how they can use their experiences to identify their strengths. The illustrations are colorful, computer-generated images, designed to capture the interest of young readers, although some might need sharpening for clarity. All in all, this is a good tool for the classroom and for young readers.

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