{"title":"Illustrated by Briana Mukodiri Uchendu","description":null,"products":[{"product_id":"9781529517811","title":"We Could Fly","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eIn a companion to \u003ci\u003eBuild a House\u003c\/i\u003e, Rhiannon Giddens – Grammy Award winner and co-founder of the Carolina Chocolate Drops – gives wing to a moving tale of grace and transcendence, with acclaimed artist Briana Mukodiri Uchendu.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAt a sparrow’s urging, a young girl feels a mysterious trembling in her arms, a lightness in her feet, a longing to be free. Her mother tells her that her Granny Liza experienced the same, as did many of their people before her. Perhaps it’s time, Mama says, to slip the bonds of earth and join the journey started long ago? To hold each other tight and rise? Drawing on song lyrics, which in turn draw on a heritage of African folklore, this incantatory dialogue between a mother and daughter paired with startlingly beautiful illustrations celebrates love, resilience and the spiritual power of the “old-time ways” – tradition and shared cultural memory – to sustain and uplift.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":43204695916722,"sku":"9781529517811","price":12.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781529517811_7524f3c6-6481-4aa7-bb02-ab226436a41d.jpg?v=1786023031"},{"product_id":"9781665938105","title":"Hairstory","description":"\u003cb\u003eJoy hums from this exquisite picture book celebration of the richness of the African heritage behind braids, locs, cornrows, and all manner of crowning glory, from ancient times to present day—perfect for fans of \u003ci\u003eSulwe\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eWe Are the Ship\u003c\/i\u003e.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWith the lushest of language, a young girl getting her hair styled tells an overall history of African hair. Beads. Feathers. Cowries. Threads of gold. Ivory. Charcoal. Pearls. Bantu knots. Cornrows. Goddess Braids. Maps. Seeds. Afros. Clay. Dreadlocks. Woven with the greatest care. Across different African cultures. Everything rich with meaning.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e- Centuries of meaning! Hair! It’s woven with history.\u003cbr\u003e - It is living art—can be adorned with intricate rings, mother of pearl, feathers.\u003cbr\u003e - It is identity.\u003cbr\u003e - It shapes community.\u003cbr\u003e - It can speak to age, wealth, or power.\u003cbr\u003e - It provided escape maps for the enslaved to follow when written word was forbidden. Woven with seeds, pearls, gold, it provided a way to survive \u003ci\u003eafter\u003c\/i\u003e escape.\u003cbr\u003e - And to many, it contains the soul.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003eFor centuries, people of African descent have faced prejudice and judgment over their hair. Backlash for their styles. Dictated to as to what styles are “acceptable”. But author Sope Martins boldly, exquisitely, subverts this all in her celebration of African hair and its complicated, powerful heritage.","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56369098981749,"sku":"9781665938105","price":12.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781665938105_391ea21d-32e1-49db-afd1-fe90c9617413.jpg?v=1786024436"}],"url":"https:\/\/backstory.london\/collections\/illustrator-briana-mukodiri-uchendu.oembed","provider":"Backstory","version":"1.0","type":"link"}