Kente for Jojo
A joyful picture book about a big brother who helps his family choose a special Kente cloth for new baby Jojo. Narrated by the older sibling, the family travels to a traditional weaving workshop in Bonwire, Ghana, where the brother learns the legend of Kente — how the spider Ananse inspired two hunters to weave — and even tries the loom himself. When his weaving goes slightly wrong, the imperfection becomes what makes Jojo's Kente truly special. The pattern they choose is Nyankonton — God's eyebrow, the rainbow — symbolising beauty, uniqueness, and great luck.
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Personally signed by Bernard. Ships from the UK.
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Inside the Book
Reviews
★ Starred“Mensah's lyrical text, infused with onomatopoeia and cultural detail, captures the rhythm of weaving… A gorgeous, reverent celebration of a cherished symbol of African tradition.”
— Kirkus Reviews
“My daughter spent ages looking at the illustrations and asking questions about the different colours and patterns.”
— Parent
“A lovely story about identity and family. Several children in my class made connections to traditions in their own homes.”
— Teacher
“We borrowed this from the library and ended up buying a copy because my son wanted to read it again.”
— Parent
Curriculum-linked activities, discussion prompts, and creative exercises.
Teacher Resources
4 free resources for Kente for Jojo. Curriculum-aligned, print-ready PDFs.
Reading Comprehension
Retrieval and inference questions about Jojo's journey to understand the meaning of Kente cloth. Includes prediction activities and character analysis.
Kente Pattern Design Workshop
Learn the meaning behind Kente colours and symbols, then design your own Kente strip using the grid template. Includes a reference guide to traditional patterns.
Creative Writing — My Special Cloth
Children write about a special item in their family — what it looks like, where it came from, and why it matters. Includes sentence starters and a drawing frame.
Ghana & Kente Cultural Facts
Fact sheets about Kente weaving in Bonwire, the Ashanti region, and how Kente is worn for celebrations. Includes a 'true or false' quiz and map activity.
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Kente for Jojo
£12.99