Publishers Weekly
07/08/2024
Farmer makes divine drama relatably human in this lively debut that celebrates Ghanaian culture and mythology while tackling themes of grief and identity. Intent on recovering the dashiki made for him by his late grandmother, Black 12-year-old Kwame chases a creature reminiscent of “long-haired monkeys” after it escapes with the garment through a portal to the Ghanaian underworld. But when Kwame’s soul is identified as carrying a shard of the earth goddess’s essence, he becomes the target of her son, the trickster god Nansi, who plans on using Kwame’s newfound abilities to destroy humanity as revenge for what it’s done to his mother’s planet. Accompanied by his hard-of-hearing Black and Korean best friend Autumn and his grandmother’s spirit, Kwame must dodge sea monsters, survive cursed forests, and save the planet in his crusade to return to the mortal realm. Using Kwame’s sympathetic first-person POV as a reluctant hero struggling to express his grief and connect with his Ghanaian heritage, Farmer deftly weaves together an inclusive tale of friendship, family, and identity featuring characters and adventure readers will yearn to revisit. Key moments depict conversations in American Sign Language. Ages 8–12. Agent: Emily Forney, BookEnds Literary. (Sept.)
From the Publisher
★ "Debut author Farmer tells a grand tale, funny and terrifying in turns, steeped in Ghanaian spirituality and folklore, and wrapped around themes of identity, obligation, true friendship, and devastating loss." — Kirkus Reviews, starred review
"Brimming with laughter, joy, and beautiful messages about grief, hope, lost loved ones, identity, and the ancestors, Kwame Crashes the Underworld rattles the spirit. Kwame Powell is a much-welcomed hero to the canon of children's books." — Dhonielle Clayton, New York Times-bestselling author of The Marvellers and The Memory Thieves
“Craig Kofi Farmer brings to life the myths of Ghana with heart, humor, and cinematic flair. I wish this book had existed when I was a child. I dare readers not to let Kwame Powell into their hearts.” — Roseanne A. Brown, New York Times-bestselling author of Serwa Boateng’s Guide to Vampire Hunting
"A rollicking and electrifying adventure of one boy's journey to accept himself, his family, and his cultural heritage. Readers will cry and laugh with and love Kwame Powell, the boy who wears his dashiki with pride and uses it to bring the underworld and its meddling gods to its knees." — Jamar J. Perry, author of Cameron Battle and the Hidden Kingdoms
"Farmer deftly weaves together an inclusive tale of friendship, family, and identity featuring characters and adventure readers will yearn to revisit." — Publishers Weekly
