{"product_id":"kwanzaa-gets-an-a-hardcover","title":"Kwanzaa Gets an A - Hardcover","description":"\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cp style=\"text-align: right;\"\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/reportcopyrightinfringement.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eReport copyright infringement\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cp\u003eby \u003cb\u003eSteven Christopher Thedford\u003c\/b\u003e (Author), \u003cb\u003eLasquizzie Kern\u003c\/b\u003e (Illustrator)\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe African American Holiday of Kwanzaa derives its name from the lingua franca of East Africa, Swahili. Additionally, the names and principles of the holiday are also derived from the language. Many people believe that Dr. Karenga chose Swahili because it is the largest language spoken by Africans across the continent. Moreover, Kwanzaa derived its name from the phrase matunda ya kwanza (\"\u003cstrong\u003efirst fruits\u003c\/strong\u003e\"). Yet, as you may have noticed, Kwanza has only one \"a\" in the expression, but the Kwanzaa that is celebrated by millions of people has two A's. Why is that so?\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWell, you'll get many answers if you read books about Kwanzaa. For example, in James C. Anyke's book \u003cem\u003eAfrican American Holidays\u003c\/em\u003e, he states that the extra \"a\" was added \"to distinguish this celebration as an African American Holiday.\" Furthermore, \u003cem\u003eThe Children's Book of Kwanzaa\u003c\/em\u003e by Dolores Johnson elucidates that the extra 'a' was added \"to give the holiday greater significance.\" After reading and analyzing several different explanations, I decided to directly approach the source. Therefore, I reviewed the books written by Dr. Karenga on the origins of Kwanzaa. According to those sources, I discovered that the extra \"a\" was attributed to the fact that Dr. Karenga wanted all seven children present at the first Kwanzaa to participate in the program.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eMoreover, uncovering these\u003cem\u003e \u003c\/em\u003efacts inspired me to write a picture book: \u003cem\u003e Kwanzaa Gets an A.\u003c\/em\u003e Using Dr. Karenga's book as a guide, \u003cem\u003eKwanzaa Gets\u003c\/em\u003e \u003cem\u003eAn A \u003c\/em\u003enarrates the story about the manner in which the name of the holiday came into existence using a griot, an African storyteller. Consequently, the book was written to be an interactive experience where children participate, call and respond. Put succinctly, as the griot tells the story of \u003cem\u003eKwanzaa Gets an A\u003c\/em\u003e, the children respond Ashe (ah-Shay), a West African word that means to bring about change.\u003c\/p\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNumber of Pages:\u003c\/strong\u003e 30\u003c\/div\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDimensions:\u003c\/strong\u003e 0.3 x 8.7 x 8.7 IN\u003c\/div\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eIllustrated:\u003c\/strong\u003e Yes\u003c\/div\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePublication Date:\u003c\/strong\u003e December 09, 2019\u003c\/div\u003e\n            ","brand":"BooksCloud","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47319275077881,"sku":"9780975973042","price":39.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0789\/2782\/3097\/files\/bWcvdlB0SmJHMm5TT25YTDlJTzBFZz09.webp?v=1769469755","url":"https:\/\/bookscloud.io\/products\/kwanzaa-gets-an-a-hardcover","provider":"BooksCloud Book Dropshipping","version":"1.0","type":"link"}