Africa is made up of fifty-three nations and covers an area greater than the United States, China, Japan, and Europe combined. It is estimated that more than 800 languages are spoken in Africa. Some fifty African languages have more than half a million speakers each, but many others are spoken by relatively few people (Columbia Encyclopedia 2001). If this is the case, due to the fact that language and culture are so closely related, it can no doubt be concluded that there are at least 800 different cultures on the continent as well. How can these concepts be communicated to children in classrooms? How can teachers instill in them some level of understanding of and appreciation for this great continent and its many diverse cultures? This column describes several quality picture books that provide a glimpse into one or more aspects of one of the many cultures in Africa and suggests classroom activities that may be used with these texts.