Grandma Sankofa’s House

Grandma Sankofa’s House

By Dr. Talaya L. Tolefree

We’ve all watched or heard about at some point the craziness, crime, and violence taking place in our city, not to mention the country, as it pertains to African Americans. With a new school year beginning, it is imperative to fortify our children with the Restorative Practices taught in Dr. Talaya Tolefree’s children’s book, Grandma Sankofa’s House.

Nia and Savannah are BFF’s, enjoying playtime while Nia shares the details of her last visit to Grandma Sankofa. As she shares her story with Savannah, we learn about her Talking Piece, the object each child has that is special, that she brought to share with Grandma Sankofa and the children in the neighborhood who came for the visit to Grandma’s Circle.

Grandma Sankofa’s Restorative Practices are interactive, as the other children listen as each child shares in the Circle, using the processes of body check, breathing, how to be still and quiet, gentleness in speaking, eye contact, and connection through empathy. With the Talking Piece, Nia shares why it is special to her. The children learn the values of Love and Listen, as well as this lesson: “Be a good friend, love and listen until the end.”

I am inspired by Dr. Tolefree’s Circle and the way it teaches us about building relationships, respect, values, and the kind of friendships that last a lifetime. In this day and age, it’s never too soon to teach our children these values with positive reinforcement. As we know, children take their cues from the adults around them.

The excitement that the children have for attending Grandma Sankofa’s Circle is infectious, as is the connection with their elders. At the end of the book, she provides a list of words for children to learn and put into practice, not only to value themselves, but to value others. I also give a hat tip to Joyeela Neogi for her beautiful illustrations.

Since we of African descent come from an oral tradition, this brought me back to the days when my son was a baby, and I read him a story every night before bedtime. Before long, he was asking me to read him stories. Along with Dr. Tolefree, I encourage you to become a storyteller to a child.

Grandma Sankofa’s House is available through Amazon and the Minnesota Black Authors Expo website.

Thank you for a wonderful book. Going forward, let’s continue to Love and Listen.