Sefaa’s grandmother is a walking clock, a forecaster and a shadow reader! Can Sefaa learn to interpret the sky like Grandma?
“Why is everyone up so early?" Sefaa asks her grandmother one morning. The village is already bustling! Sefaa discovers that the orange sunrise and tiny clouds in the sky are sure signs that it’s time to collect mudfish from the river. Grandma knows when it’s time to go to school, judging by Sefaa’s shadow, and the clouds tell her when herrings are on their way to shore. Sefaa wishes she could read the sky like Grandma, and when a storm begins to brew, she finally has the opportunity she’s been waiting for.
Inspired by years spent with her grandparents in a small Ghanaian village, Yaa Serwaa Somuah’s story, vibrantly illustrated by Olivia Amoah, recalls traditional ways of knowing and the joy of passing knowledge on.
Key Text Features
dialogue
glossary
illustrations
Correlates to the Common Core State Standards in English Language Arts:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.1.2
Retell stories, including key details, and demonstrate understanding of their central message or lesson.
Sefaa’s grandmother is a walking clock, a forecaster and a shadow reader! Can Sefaa learn to interpret the sky like Grandma?
“Why is everyone up so early?" Sefaa asks her grandmother one morning. The village is already bustling! Sefaa discovers that the orange sunrise and tiny clouds in the sky are sure signs that it’s time to collect mudfish from the river. Grandma knows when it’s time to go to school, judging by Sefaa’s shadow, and the clouds tell her when herrings are on their way to shore. Sefaa wishes she could read the sky like Grandma, and when a storm begins to brew, she finally has the opportunity she’s been waiting for.
Inspired by years spent with her grandparents in a small Ghanaian village, Yaa Serwaa Somuah’s story, vibrantly illustrated by Olivia Amoah, recalls traditional ways of knowing and the joy of passing knowledge on.
Key Text Features
dialogue
glossary
illustrations
Correlates to the Common Core State Standards in English Language Arts:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.1.2
Retell stories, including key details, and demonstrate understanding of their central message or lesson.
| Published By | Groundwood Books Ltd — Apr 6, 2027 |
| Specifications | 32 pages | 9 in x 9 in |
| Written By |
YAA SERWAA SOMUAH grew up in a small village in Ghana, where she and her siblings were cared for by their grandparents, and where she later self-published seven stories. Today Yaa works with immigrant children and youth in Canada, helping them adjust to their new lives, while using storytelling to keep them connected to their roots. Yaa has received a Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Medal for community service. She lives in Edmonton, Alberta.
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| Illustrated by |
OLIVIA AMOAH was born and raised in Northern Ontario. She previously worked as an animator and designer for television and now creates whimsical illustrations and humorous stories, inspired by childhood and everyday magic, including work that connects to her African heritage. Her illustrations appear in Vanessa Nakate by Maria Isabel Sanchez Vegara (Little People, Big Dreams series); Here Are the Seeds by JaNay Brown-Wood and Go, Baby, Go! by Tara Dairman. Olivia lives in Toronto, Ontario. |
| Written By |
|
YAA SERWAA SOMUAH grew up in a small village in Ghana, where she and her siblings were cared for by their grandparents, and where she later self-published seven stories. Today Yaa works with immigrant children and youth in Canada, helping them adjust to their new lives, while using storytelling to keep them connected to their roots. Yaa has received a Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Medal for community service. She lives in Edmonton, Alberta.
|
| Illustrated by |
|
OLIVIA AMOAH was born and raised in Northern Ontario. She previously worked as an animator and designer for television and now creates whimsical illustrations and humorous stories, inspired by childhood and everyday magic, including work that connects to her African heritage. Her illustrations appear in Vanessa Nakate by Maria Isabel Sanchez Vegara (Little People, Big Dreams series); Here Are the Seeds by JaNay Brown-Wood and Go, Baby, Go! by Tara Dairman. Olivia lives in Toronto, Ontario. |
| Audience | ages 3 to 6 / grades P to 1 |
| Key Text Features | dialogue; glossary; illustrations |
| Common Core | CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.1.2 |