Sugarfoots Tattle-Tales Series
Sugarfootn' in Ghana -- Why People Have to Work?
by
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When they finished saying the imagination chant, they opened their eyes and found themselves right in the middle of Linenhall Street in the town of Castlebar in the west of Ireland. There were so many shops to see and everyone in town was busy running from place to place getting their messages. All of the shops were very close together and the fronts of the stores were in bright colors of red, brown, orange and yellow! The sidewalks were a bit narrow and the streets were partially paved with cobblestones. The names on the shops were easy to pronounce. There was McCarthy’s, the Upper Crust Bakery and the Castle Bookshop. Everyone in the town seemed to know each other. On the outskirts of town, was the greenest grass they had ever seen with so many different shades, as if someone had painted it! Aisling said “ye are just in time for our Roola Boola Festival! It’s the best children’s festival in Castlebar. The play this afternoon is all about Finn, but this year it is with an African twist. It’ll will be great craic! I have enough lunch with me to feed everyone and if we hurry we can grab good seats!” Everyone quickly followed Aisling to the Roola Boola Festival. The play was just about ready to begin. Everything was quickly sorted and everyone took their seats. The first sounds they heard were the rhythmic beat of the African Djembe, Djun Djun, Kuinto and the Sangba drums! When the drummers had the crowd moving to the beat of the drums, four Irish step dancers appeared. They were high stepping to the music of the drums. When the dancers left the stage, all that was left on the stage was an old man, a young boy and a Leprechaun Seanachai, which is an Irish name for storyteller! Everyone was quiet as they were waiting for the Leprechaun Seanachai to begin his tale…
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About the Book
“Sugar roads and sugar toes Sugarfoots and all that glows In my hand the stones will be And my imagination will Always be with me…” And with that, the Sugarfoots dolls come to life and Babelle, a young African-American girl who is the appointed caretaker of the Sugarfoots, magically arranges a trip to the continent of West Africa! In the blink of an eye they have landed in Keta a little costal village, in Ghana, West Africa overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. Luckily for them, Abla, a Ghanaian born girl, has been awaiting there arrival and is very excited to see them. She cannot wait to take them to her village in Agbozume, to see the many every day sites of Ghana. The Sugarfoots are full of questions, thirsty, hungry and eager to find out what folktales they can learn about and take them back to their Sugarfoots village. Abla, who is a very clever storyteller, has the perfect folktale in store for them. In a bustling world of video mania, children as well as parents will delight in taking a break from the keyboard to learn about Abla’s small Ghanaian village and experience the joy of folklore. Stories that have been passed down for generations will intrigue young minds and bring smiles of remembrance from parents about these dubious fables of yesteryear with a fresh new twist. It will be up to them to determine if the folktale is true or not.
About the Author
Barbara Nyaliemaa Mosima is a graduate of Howard University’s Drama Department, with a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree and has also taught at the Duke Ellington School for the Performance Arts. She is an accomplished actress, comedienne, storyteller and entrepreneur, and has performed throughout the Washington metropolitan area and the East Coast. Ms. Mosima founded Sugarfoots in 1992, a company that designs cultural soft-sewn rag dolls, created in the three complexion shades of Cocoa, Ginger and Cinnamon. She has been featured in The Washington Post, numerous local news broadcasts, Latina Magazine, Family Digest and thrice in Essence Magazine. Along with Sugarfoots dolls, the Sugarfoots family includes children’s books, storytelling workshops and a performing arts summer camp. Ms. Mosima was a principal performer in the No Neck Monster Theatre Company’s production of Sanctuary D.C., nominated in 1988 for the Helen Hayes Award. In the Washington, D.C. comedy-drama production of An Oral History of Tarawaga County, Ms. Mosima’s performance was reviewed as “A Goddess of a Black Woman, with warmth and style”. She continues to be well noted for her bright comic performances. She has worked with celebrity artists such as Ruby Dee, the late Ossie Davis, Patti Labelle, and Bill Cosby. She is a dedicated and committed performer and delights audiences wherever her path may lead her. Through Sugarfoots, Ms. Mosima has performed storytelling workshops for the Girl Scouts of America, Jack and Jill, Boys and Girls Clubs, Schools, Museums, the Outreach Children’s Theatre Company’s touring production of The Golden Journey and Interact, a children’s touring production throughout the Washington metropolitan area. With this rich blend of theatrical talents, Ms. Mosima brings to the art of storytelling a unique fusion of improvisation, movement and comic overture. She resides in Washington D.C. with her husband Gabriel and her son Parker.