This month I have read I Am Nefertiti by Annemarie Anang and illustrated by Natelle Quek.
Cu cu cha cha, Cu cu cha!
When Nefertiti plays the drums, the band comes together as one. “I am Nefertiti” she chants proudly. But when her new music teacher shortens her name to ‘Nef’, something strange happens . . .
An empowering and uplifting story celebrating the joy of being you.
As the blurb on the back of the book suggests, I Am Nefertiti tells the story of a little girl and her experiences when she joins the school band. Nefertiti is nervous before going into the music building, but her father encourages her, telling her that she is ready for this and that she is Nefertiti. She draws power from her name, feeling about 10 feet tall. And of course, her father isn’t just telling her that she is a name, he uses this as a way to tell her that she is a special person, that she is unique and wonderful, that she has all of these amazing qualities, that she works hard, that she is creative, that he is proud of her – all of the pride and joy and love he has for her is bound up in her name, the word she uses to introduce herself to the world. Nefertiti is, rightly, proud of her name. But when she tells her teacher her name, her teacher tells her the name is too difficult and she will shorten it to something else. Something Nefertiti has not suggested, or agreed to. This name shortening is imposed on her, without the teacher even asking if it is alright by Nefertiti. Nefertiti feels diminished by this.
The band starts playing, and without Nefertiti it is a mess. Nefertiti’s drumming keeps time, keeps the beat, and keeps the band together. But her teacher keeps using her shortened name, diminishing Nefertiti further until the band can no longer keep playing together. I won’t say any more about what happens in the book, you will have to read it for yourself to see what happens.
This is a really good, lovely, empowering story, which I am sure will touch a nerve for many people reading it. There will be people reading this book, both adults and children alike who will have been told their name is just too difficult to pronounce, or who have been told that it will be easier for everyone else if we just call you something else. People who have got used to their names being changed or shortened whether they like it or not, for whatever reason. It shows the power in a person’s name, in how that name can make you feel. That your name is not just a label you give yourself, but your name describes who you are to people – your name may have significance through family members you were named after. Maybe there was a particular book or film your parents loved and they chose a name for you. Maybe they spent hours reading through baby names books until they saw one that looked just right for you. Maybe it is a name you chose for yourself. Whatever significance your name has, it is yours. And people show you respect by at the very least trying to say it correctly, even if it takes practice to get it right. This book makes that point beautifully, without hammering it home.
And of course, the backdrop to this story of empowerment and enjoying and being proud of who you are, is Nefertiti’s drumming skills, joining a band. As a band, or any grouping of musicians to be honest, you have to all listen to each other. You need to hear what each other is playing or singing, and work together to make music. And these children do that pretty effortlessly. It is the grown up in this book that needs educating on listening to each other.
I really liked this book. I loved that it was the main character’s drumming, and her strong holding of the pulse of the music that brought all the children together, rather than them all doing their own thing and sounding like a complete mess! I loved the way the message of the story was delivered, and its physicality (yes I shall leave it at that without explaining further, so I don’t give anything away). I loved that this was a girl called Nefertiti, the same name as an Ancient Egyptian Queen, and a name which is, in itself, a musical, rhythmic name. I loved that it was Nefertiti’s Dad who championed her at the start, and the other children supporting her at the end. It’s a great story to read with your children.
As for who I would recommend this books for. Well I will definitely be reading it with my daughter who is 6, and I expect it will become one of those books that she brings out over and over again. I would probably recommend the book for ages 5 -7, possibly age 4. I think I would have read it with my children when they were 4, but probably the latter half of their 4th year. And I think it would be a book I would use to encourage independent reading at 6 and 7. The language used is simple enough for young readers and listeners, and the story easy enough for them to understand, while being involved enough that older readers will not get bored with it.
The illustrations by Natelle Quek are bold and bright, and, to use a musical phrase, in perfect harmony with the story. They add to and help to tell the story, something that is especially important for our younger readers to help them understand what is happening in a book.
At the time of writing this book, which is 32 pages long, is available for all good book retailers. It is currently priced at £6.72 in paperback edition on Amazon, though be aware that prices can go up or down depending on demand. I would highly recommend this book.
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