TORONTO, Aug. 13, 2012 /CNW/ - Tundra Books will publish WHEN I GET OLDER: THE STORY BEHIND "WAVIN' FLAG" written by globally celebrated poet, MC, singer, songwriter K'naan and illustrated by artist Rudy Gutierrez this fall. WHEN I GET OLDER will release in Canada and the United States on September 25, 2012 in hardcover and as an Ebook.
WHEN I GET OLDER tells K'naan's own story. Born in Somalia, K'naan moved with his family, first to New York and then to Toronto, to escape the outbreak of the 1991 Somali Civil War. The book details the challenges K'naan faced adjusting to life in a new country and how music became a way for him to connect with his past, with his classmates, and eventually with millions of people around the world. At 32 pages, the full-colour, illustrated picture book will include a brief history of the Somalian conflict and the lyrics and sheet music of "Wavin' Flag," K'naan's #1 hit song.
Of the book K'naan says, "I think of empathy as a muscle in the soul, which develops through the nutrition we provide for it. The stories we hear as children can be that nutrition. I wanted to write a children's story that reflects the new immigrant's sense of family and identity, which can sometimes be lost in translation. In this book, the main character is "Wavin' Flag," a song whose ownership has been long claimed by children all over the world."
Alison Morgan, Publisher, Tundra Books, says, "We are thrilled to be publishing this wonderful, inspirational story - one that acknowledges the horrible circumstances that force many refugees to flee their homeland, while celebrating the bright future within every child's grasp. K'naan's story is especially meaningful to those confronted with the huge challenge of fitting into a new country, with strange customs and an unfamiliar language. K'naan continues to work to support those marginalized by poverty and violence in his native Somalia and to help those struggling to find their way in new lands."
Born Keinan Abdi Warsame, K'naan first came to prominence when he performed a spoken word piece before the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in 1999. A member of the audience, the singer Youssou N'Dour, was so impressed that he asked K'naan to take part in an album and to tour with him. Since then, K'naan has performed in more than 86 countries and has received many honours, including three Juno Awards and the BBC Radio 3 Award for World Music. During the Vancouver Olympics, he worked with other Canadian musicians and artists under the name Young Artists for Haiti to produce a charity version of "Wavin' Flag." The song was adapted again to become the FIFA 2010 World Cup theme song. There are now 22 versions of the song, which hit #1 in the music charts in 19 countries. K'naan's highly anticipated third album, Country, God or the Girl, will be released this fall.
WHEN I GET OLDER: THE STORY BEHIND "WAVIN' FLAG"
by K'naan with Sol Guy, illustrated by Rudy Gutierrez | Tundra Books
Hardcover: 978-1-77049-302-5 | On sale September 25, 2012
Ebook: 978-1-77049-303-2 | On sale September 25, 2012
CDN Price: $19.99 | US Price: $17.95
About Tundra Books: Tundra Books is renowned for its innovations. From the time of its founding, Tundra has been dedicated to helping people tell their own stories, to introducing gallery artists to young children, to creating a balance between information and beauty in non-fiction books, and to keeping in print the books children love, so they can share them years later with their own children. Tundra Books is a division of Random House of Canada Limited. Random House of Canada Limited is a division of Random House, Inc., whose parent company is Bertelsmann, a leading international media company.
Image with caption: "Cover image of K'naan's WHEN I GET OLDER: THE STORY BEHIND "WAVIN' FLAG", on sale in bookstores and through online retailers in North America on September 25, 2012. (CNW Group/Random House of Canada Limited)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20120813_C6427_PHOTO_EN_16816.jpg
SOURCE: Random House of Canada Limited
Pamela Osti, Publicity Manager
Random House of Canada Limited
Tel: 647-788-3980 | [email protected]
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