Barbara Knutson was born in South Africa as the child of American missionaries. Drawing, reading, and “making things” were her favorite pastimes, and animals, wild or tame, were her favorite subject. She was twelve when her family moved to the United States. After high school in Bloomington, MN, Barbara attended St. Olaf College and the University of Minnesota. With degrees in Art Education and French, she went to Nigeria to teach at an international school for two years. But reading, drawing, and “making things” prevailed, and on returning to the United States she wrote and illustrated her first book, Why the Crab Has No Head. A trip to Tanzania led to two more African animal tales: How the Guinea Fowl Got Her Spots: A Swahili Tale of Friendship and Sungura and Leopard: A Swahili Trickster Tale.

For two years Barbara lived in Lima, Peru, where her husband taught biology. Hiking and traveling in Bolivia and Peru, she learned an Andean trickster tale that eventually turned into the picturebook Love and Roast Chicken. Barbara passed away in May of 2005.

Love and Roast Chicken,
A Trickster Tale From the Andes Mountains
written and illustrated by Barbara Knutson
CarolRhoda Books, 2004
ages 4-8, ISBN 978-1-57505-657-9

Reading Guide available from Minnesota Storytime

High in the Andes Mountains, Cuy the Guinea Pig searches for sweetgrass - until he’s interrupted by Tio Antonio, the sharp-toothed Fox, hunting for his own dinner. Cuy can only escape by thinking fast and distracting Fox with tricks about the end of the world, the farmer’s daughter, and roast chicken. This folktale is still a living favorite in the mountain villages of Peru and Bolivia.

Sungura and Leopard, A Swahili Trickster Tale
written and illustrated by Barbara Knutson
Little, Brown and Co., 1993
ages 4-8, ISBN 978-0-316-50010-4

Both Leopard and Sungura the hare need a place to live. But who would have thought they would end up living together? That’s just what happens however, when each begins building a house on the same grassy hill without realizing the other is planning to live there too. Sungura and his rapidly growing family all work together to trick their dangerous housemate into leaving—and he hasn’t come back since.

How the Guinea Fowl Got Her Spots,
A Swahili Tale of Friendship
written and illustrated by Barbara Knutson
Carolrhoda Books, 1990
ages 4-8, ISBN 978-0-87614-416-9

Nganga the Guinea Fowl and Cow are best friends who spend their days together in the sunny grasslands of Tanzania: Cow eating grass, Nganga scratching for seeds, and both of them keeping an eye out for Lion. When Lion threatens to make dinner out of Cow one day, Guinea Fowl boldly intervenes and saves Cow’s life. In return, Cow honors the friendship with her own life-saving gift to Nganga. This story stems from a traditional Swahili culture where cattle (and people) crossed paths frequently with both beautiful and fierce wild animals.

Why the Crab Has No Head
written and illustrated by Barbara Knutson
Carolrhoda Books, 1987
ages 4-8, ISBN 978-0-87614-322-3

Little, Brown and Co., 1993
ages 4-8, ISBN 978-0-316-50010-4

When Nzambi Mpungu made the earth and the sky, she filled them with all kinds of animals and birds. Each creature is marvelous in its own way, but Crab boasts that he will be the finest of all—as soon as Nzambi finishes his head. When she finds out about his bragging Nzambi has other ideas, as you can see from the way Crab looks today. The borders and illustrations of this book are a celebration of the extraordinary animals and designs found in West and Central Africa.

Day of the Dead
written by Linda Lowery
illustrated by Barbara Knutson
Carolrhoda Books, May 2003
ages 4-8, ISBN 978-0-87614-914-0

Each November in Mexico and the United states, people celebrate and remember those who have died. Candles and altars, parades and sugar skulls: the Day of the Dead is both lively and reverent.

Kwanzaa Karamu
written by April Brady
illustrated by Barbara Knutson
Carolrhoda Books, February 1995
ages 9-12, ISBN 978-0-87614-842-6

Crafts and cooking for the African-American holiday of Kwanzaa.

Colors of Ghana
written by Holly Littlefield
and illustrated by Barbara Knutson
Carolrhoda Books, October 1999
ages 4-8, ISBN 978-1-57505-354-7

What color is the West African country of Ghana? It is silver like the clever Ananse spider’s web, tan like the ceremonial drums, and orange like the threads in a Kente cloth.

Count Your Way Through Africa
written by Jim Haskins
and illustrated by Barbara Knutson
Carolrhoda Books, June 1989
ages 4-8, ISBN 978-0-87614-347-6

Learn the Swahili numbers one through ten as you learn about many parts of Africa.

Hanna's Cold Winter
written by Trish Marx
and illustrated by Barbara Knutson
Carolrhoda Books, August 1993
ages 5-12, ISBN 978-0-87614-772-6

The true story of how the people of Budapest saved the beloved hippos in their zoo during World War II.