Africana Homestead Legacy Publishers

Monkey watches as a tiny mouse proves to be a valued friend to Lion, and as Buzzard takes advantage of
other animals but gets his comeuppance, in this weaving together of two African folktales.

ISBN-13: 978-0-9825842-7-9
Binding 1: hardcover
Pages: 40 pp.
Publication date: June 2010
Price: US $16.95

ISBN-13: 978-0-9825842-8-6
Binding 2: softcover
Pages: 40 pp.
Publication date: June 2010
Price: US $11.95
Imprint: Nefu Books

BISAC subjects: JUVENILE FICTION : Fairy Tales & Folklore - Adaptations; JUVENILE FICTION : Fairy Tales & Folklore - African; JUVENILE FICTION : Animals - Jungle Animals.

Roland C. Barksdale-Hall

Roland C. Barksdale-Hall currently is president of JAH Kente International, Washington, D.C., that promotes the arts in churches, libraries, and schools in the metropolitan Washington, D.C. area. As an AIDS educator, he used children’s stories to teach valuable lessons. He draws upon twenty years of experience as a librarian, parent, and godfather to nine in his debut as an author of children’s books.

A founder of the Afro-American Historical and Genealogical Society (AAHGS) of Pittsburgh and former executive director, Barksdale-Hall traveled to West Africa and researched storytelling. He served as national youth director of the Frontiers International and on the executive committee of the Black Caucus of the American Library Association. He belongs to the National Association of Black Storytellers and is vice president of the Buckeye Review.

In 2009 the University of Pittsburgh awarded Barksdale-Hall the Blue, Gold and Black: Color of Achievement Award. Through storytelling he has taken his cultural health message to summer camps, leadership conferences, family reunions, and community celebrations throughout the country.

Bill Murray

Bill started his career as an illustrator in the early 1970’s, as a teenager working with the Johnson Publishing Company, the publishers of Ebony and Jet magazines. Murray earned his bachelor of fine arts degree in visual communications from the Institute of Art, Chicago, Illinois. Reading to his four-year-old daughter, Cheyanne (in photo above), inspired him to illustrate children’s books.

Murray’s first feature was “Those Browns,” a cartoon series that Sammy Davis, Jr., distributed from 1975 to 1981. After creating Adam & Eve, A.D., a comic book, Murray hired Kevin Eastman, creator of the Ninja Turtles, to design the cover of his first issue in 1985. Highly successful, Adam & Eve, A.D was distributed internationally and issues are now collector’s items.

As a syndicated cartoonist-flash animator -illustrator, Murray has created cartoons for print and broadcast media: Real Times, Inc. (that bought Sengstacke Enterprises, Inc.); DBR Media; editorial cartoons (Sunday edition) of the Herald newspaper, Sharon, Pa.; freelance work for CNN News and Fox News.

Under African Skies is a welcomed addition to … the African experience, and like the music, dance and other cultural life of Africa, this book will honor a tradition as old as the sky.

Itibari M. Zulu, Sr., Senior Editor, the Journal of Pan African Studies

Under African Skies is reminiscent of Barksdale’s outstanding storytelling performance at the Eastmont Branch of the Oakland Public Library (2000), where he captivated an awe-struck audience. His elaborate use of verbal imagery, visual props, and didactic messages recreated a presence that breathed life into his stories. Under African Skies is a welcomed treasure to the rich corpus of children’s literature.

Karim T. Aldridge-Rand, third grade teacher, Houston Independent School District