Bright Star: The Story of an African King

This is the story of a king named Njoya [enjoy-ah], who ruled the small African kingdom of Bamum in the grasslands of Cameroon at the turn of the twentieth century. When the German colonial army marched into his kingdom, Njoya had to find a way to help his people maintain their identity—and their dignity—in the face of great change. In the entire history of Mankind, there have been few leaders like Njoya. He created a writing system, built schools, and fostered art, business, and agriculture. James Rumford, with the rich browns of the gourd pictures of Africa, tells this triumphant story and how in the worst of times, like a star in the darkest of nights, there was man who shone even more brightly.