Shaka Rising: A Legend of the Warrior Prince

Gr 6–8—This graphic novel telling of the early life of Zulu king Shaka presents an accessible introduction to a major figure in African history. After fleeing his brother's murderous schemes and living in exile, Shaka returns to claim his title as king. He must then conquer the king of the Ndwandwe, who is annexing southern kingdoms of Africa and selling their citizens into slavery. The story moves briskly, and the language is vivid and dramatic. The illustrations, drawn with bold lines in a fiery palette of oranges and reds, are a little stiff but come to life in battle scenes where lines are blurred to depict action. The authors present Shaka as a brilliant military strategist who used his talents to protect his people from slavery. He is more a character to admire than to relate to: at one point, he orders his sister to marry for the sake of a new alliance. Female characters aren't given much to do: Shaka's sister grows into a "beautiful woman" while he becomes a "powerful general." There is no bibliography or resource list, but the inspired storytelling should appeal to readers.