The daughter of a river god, raised by a human father and bound to a tragic destiny. An African fantasy-adventure graphic novel inspired by the mythology of the Zambezi River and the history of the Kariba Dam, one of the largest dams ever constructed.

From the director of Aau's Song, a Star Wars: Visions film from Lucasfilm, and the director of the 2023 NYICFF award-winning The Smeds and the Smoos

Siku has always called the Zambezi River her home. She understands the water - and strangely enough, it seems to understand her, too, bending to her will and coming to her aid in times of need. But things are changing on the river - a great dam is being built, displacing thousands of Shonga people - and things are changing in Siku, too, as her ability to manipulate water grows out of control, and visions of a great serpent pull her further from reality and her loving father, Tongai.

When Tongai ventures to the Kariba Dam to find a cure for Siku and never returns, she sets off to find him with the help of Amedeo, the young son of Kariba's chief engineer. Together, they traverse elephant graveyards, rugged jungles, and ancient ruins, outrunning pirates, bootleggers, and shape-shifting prophets ready to use Siku to their own advantage. But Siku soon discovers that her father has been shielding a terrible secret: Siku is actually the daughter of the Great River Spirit, Nyaminyami, and the only way to bring about the necessary rumuko - a ritual which has brought balance to the Zambezi for centuries - is for Siku to give up the only life she's ever known.

With the future of the Shonga resting on her shoulders, Siku must journey to the source of the river to understand the ancient power hidden within her.

• 250 review copies (150 prepub, 100 postpub) sent to reviewers, booksellers, librarians, bloggers, others.
  
• We will seek early blurbs from graphic novelists and writers such as Roye Okupe, Loyiso Mkize, Joe Sacco, Marguerite Abouet, Lauren Beukes, and Setor Fiadzigbey.
  
• Available as an e-ARC on Edelweiss and Netgalley.
  
• Leveled and aligned with Common Core.
  
• We will seek to host an author Q&A chat on Goodreads.
  
• Teaching guide available on website.
  
• Marketing to library market begins with galleys in the Baker and Taylor ARC program.
  
• Promoted at Comic Con, ALA annual, mid-winter ALA, NCTE, NCSS, and African Studies Association annual conferences.
  
• Digital galleys to School Library Journal, The New York Times, PW Grab a Galley, ALA Booklist, Shelf Awareness, Kirkus
• Blog tour with book giveaways.
  
• Goodreads and LibraryThing giveaways.
  
• We will send review copies to relevant young women's and Black and minority ethnic empowerment organizations, youth activism organizations, and environmental groups.
  
• We will specifically engage with comic book stores, environmental book stores, youth bookstores, and black-owned and women's interest indie bookstores who may be interested in featuring the book or hosting a virtual event with the authors.
  
• We will seek out book clubs who are interested in the book and will create a reading guide for book clubs and others interested in reading the book in a group setting.
  
• We will submit the book for all relevant awards.
  
• Promotion online via Catalyst's website as well as email lists and social media (Blog, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube) with author and publisher interviews, chats, and guest posts.
  
• Submission to the Junior Library Guild
  
• Simultaneous e-book and trade paper print release.
  
• We will pitch essays and op-eds from the Kariba creative team to major literary outlets.
• We will host a joint event with the Kariba and Pearl of the Sea (Catalyst Press) creative teams on African environmentalism, heritage, and African comics, moderated by Catalyst Press author David Muirhead (Cat Among the Pigeons) or Bridget Pitt (Eye Brother Horn)
  
• We will promote and seek ways to promote within the secular, progressive homeschooling community.
  
• The creative team has provided us the following animation teaser for use in publicity: https://vimeo.com/122076401

About the Author

Daniel Clarke is a Cape Town-based artist working in animation, film and illustration. He started his career in animation in 2008 at Triggerfish Animation Studios, a collaboration that has lasted up until today and has seen him act as Production Designer and Art director on projects such as the feature film Khumba, BBC's Stick Man and Snail and the Whale. As an illustrator and designer he has worked, amongst others, with clients such as Netflix, Animal Logic, The Line, National Geographic Kids, Nike, Adidas, and Penguin Random House. Daniel has worked as an illustrator and art director for international feature films such as Chronicle (Josh Trank, 2012); The Giver (Philip Noyce, 2014); and Chappie (Neil Blomkamp, 2015). Daniel recently directed Aau's Song, a Star Wars: Visions film from Lucasfilm, available on Disney+ in May 2023.

James Clarke was born in Cape Town, South Africa, and educated at the University of Cape Town, where he studied history and literature and completed his Masters in Creative Writing as a Harry Crossley Fellow. In 2016, he was the South Africa finalist in fiction for the PEN International New Young Voices Award. Kariba is his first graphic novel collaboration.

Daniel Snaddon is an artist, illustrator, and film director of Scottish-South African and Chinese-Australian descent, who grew up in Nelspruit, a short drive away from the Kruger National Park. He has worked in the animation and film industries for fourteen years, best known for his work with Triggerfish Animation Studios and with Magic Light Pictures' animated BBC Christmas specials. Among these, Daniel served as animation supervisor on the Academy Award nominated "Roald Dahl's Revolting Rhymes", co-director on the BAFTA nominated "Stick Man", and as director on both the Annie award winning "The Snail and the Whale" and the International Emmy winning "Zog". Daniel's most recent work, his fourth Magic Light Pictures Christmas special, "The Smeds and the Smoos", based on the book by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler (authors of The Gruffalo), was awarded the Audience Award at the New York International Children's Film Festival in March 2023. Daniel served as the founding director of CTIAF, South Africa's premiere animation festival, for 4 years.

Reviews

Included in CBC's August Hot Off the Press

"Finding inspiration in fantasy, history, and mythology, the book combines those elements along with a Japanese animation influence, resulting in an exhilarating adventure.[...] The art is detailed and lush, with beautiful colors throughout. Of particular note are the gorgeous showcases of water, whether in stunning waterfall images or an underwater view of the river with sunlight dappling at the surface. [...] Kariba is a mystical graphic novel about magic, self-discovery, and the delicate balance between human ambition and the natural world." - Foreword Reviews, Starred Review

[A]n astonishing fairy tale [...] The art is utterly breathtaking throughout, saturated with sumptuous color, enhanced with stupendous details, vivid with energy and action. A 2017 Kickstarter campaign made this wondrous graphic title possible-it's a wow-inducing phenomenal gift to be treasured." - Booklist, Starred Review

"This fast-paced work, full of daring acts and highlighting Siku's powerful voice, has a backdrop inspired by colonial history. The illustrations are reminiscent of an animated feature, with strong facial expressions and vivid hues. The varied style of the panels adds extra vigor, particularly when Siku is having watery visions, as the shapes and edges become fluid. [...] A dynamic, mystical coming-of-age story." - Kirkus Reviews

"This is an African fantasy-adventure graphic novel without comparison. The artworks draw the reader into Africa in a stunning appreciation for nature. The use of language, symbolism and engaging dialogue helps to keep one foot of the reader in African culture, and the other in global myth. The creators - Daniel Clarke, James Clarke and Daniel Snaddon - have made excellent synergy of their talents and experiences, to offer the world a story that cannot be ignored." - World Kid Lit
"This is a glorious young adult adventure hitting all the right notes. It's emotionally strong, has a viable quest, suspense hanging over that, is well paced and a respect for various cultures of the times is evident. Even allowing for the creators having experience with animation and television, something as good as Kariba as a first graphic novel really is remarkable." - Slings & Arrows

"[A]nother stellar addition to Catalyst Press' catalog of African books published for North American readers." - BooksYALove

"Deftly scripted, impressively illustrated, and entertaining [...] KARIBA is an unreservedly recommended pick for personal reading lists and elementary school, middle school, and community library Graphic Novel collections." - Midwest Book Review

"The story of Kariba Dam is a story of colonialism. But Kariba is in no way a white savior narrative. Siku is her own agent, and forges her own way. Like other great works of fantasy, Kariba asks more questions than it answers. [...] Libraries interested in increasing their selection of African stories would do well to consider adding this book to their collections. Furthermore, young fans of historical fiction, fantasy, or graphic novels may all find something of appeal in this coming-of-age story set in a changing world." - Global Literature in Libraries Initiative (GLLI)

"A riveting coming-of-age story that intertwines magic and history. [...] Kariba shows Siku, her allies, her enemies, and the reader that magic and the material world are not a dichotomy with one needing to die for the other to grow. Instead, they are both parts of the whole, and we need both to live our best."- Blogcritics

"Rooted in the richness of ancient Zimbabwean myth, gorgeously produced and brilliantly realised, KARIBA is a work of astonishing imagination from artists and storytellers of exceptional talent. One of the very best graphic novels to come out of Africa, KARIBA will move and delight readers of all ages and backgrounds for years and years to come." - Petina Gappah, Out of Darkness, Shining Light

"KARIBA is a wonderful story of self-discovery, with stunning visuals fit for animation. Take your time with it, savour every panel of every page. It is indeed a visual feast." - Setor Fiadzigbey, illustrator, Marvel Legends' Black Panther

"[S]eamlessly blends myth and history with a gorgeously immersive story with equally stunning artwork that almost seems to move about the page. With a focus on protecting family, folklore, and embracing the changes around you and within-KARIBA is sure to entice readers of all ages!" - Tara O'Connor, Fly By Night

"A rich and lushly inhabited telling of stories about struggle and resistance against environmental and colonial oppression, KARIBA brings a loveable ensemble of characters together with vibrancy to tell a story that jumps off the page. Beautifully illustrated evoking the expansive storytelling found in works such as Laputa: Castle in the Sky, Nausicaa and Princess Mononoke. It is reimaginings of our histories such as this that reminds us of the magic that exists in the struggles for a better world." - Hugo Martinez, illustrator, Wake: The Hidden History of Women-Led Slave Revolts

"Magic, mayhem, and African folklore sprinkles across this middle reader graphic novel fantasy adventure that brings a young indigenous girl with special powers the one to save her local village from those that wish to do it harm. Inspired by the Kariba Dam conflict and filled with lush illustrations and compelling characters, this comic book will expose readers to different culture and mythical storytelling." - Gerard Villegas, Auntie's Bookstore

"This beautifully illustrated graphic novel reads like an animated adventure and is a great fit for fans of Avatar, The Last Airbender." - Bookshop Santa Cruz

"A rich, complex narrative pairs with lush and fantastical artwork to share the life of Siku, a young girl who is tasked with hiding a great power inside her. Strong, capable, and determined to do the right thing, Siku embarks on a perilous quest that will have her tapping into the core of who (or what) she is. Pick up this stunning graphic novel and get lost in a world all its own." - Katherine Megna-Weber, Books Inc.

"[W]ith its sinuous, fantastic shapes and deep greens and blues, the book recalls Studio Ghibli works such as The Red Turtle or My Neighbor Totoro." - Susan Harari, Keefe Library, Boston Latin School

Book Information
ISBN 9781946395825
Author Daniel Clarke
Format Paperback
Page Count 230
Imprint Catalyst Books
Publisher Catalyst Books