op de rug van bigi kayman

'Op de rug van Bigi Kayman' by Henna Goudzand Nahar is a unique read-aloud story about slavery.

Kofi and Afi have to work all day long. Just like their parents, they are enslaved. When they hear one day that their father might be sold, they decide to flee. It turns into a perilous journey through the wilderness, where they come face to face with dangerous animals. When they finally reach the swamp where escaped people are said to live, there is no one in sight. Did they come all this way for nothing? Their courage fades, until they suddenly spot the giant caiman…

For this book, author Henna Goudzand Nahar drew inspiration from the lives of the Brooskampers, who lived as enslaved people in Suriname and freed themselves by fleeing to a swamp area between the Suriname River and the Upper Commewijne. According to legend, an enormous caiman with grass growing on its back carried the first Brooskampers to the other side.

'Op de rug van Bigi Kayman' won a 2022 Bronzen Griffel in the 6 to 9 age category and a 2022 Zilveren Penseel in the illustrated children's books category.

Illustrations: Hedy Tjin
Uitgeverij: Querido
Number of pages: 64.

This book is written in Dutch.