Welcome to the Cypher
Age range 3 to 6
Words burn bright in this joyful celebration of rap, creativity, and self-expression.
'Welcome to the cypher!
Now huddle up nice and snug.
You feel that circle around you?
Well, that’s a hip hop hug!”'
Starting with beatboxes and fingersnaps, an exuberant narrator introduces kids in his community to the powerful possibilities of rap, from turning “a simple phrase/into imagery that soars' to proclaiming, 'this is a voice that represents me!' As Khodi Dill’s rhymes heat up, the diverse crew of kids — illustrated in Awuradwoa Afful’s bold, energetic style — gain self-confidence and a sense of freedom in this wonderful picture book debut that is perfect for reading aloud.
KHODI DILL is a Bahamian-Canadian writer of everything from rap songs to children’s literature. He is a practicing anti-racist educator with a passion for social justice and the arts. Khodi is a proud father and partner who lives and writes in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.
AWURADWOA AFFUL is a Ghanaian-Canadian designer, illustrator, and animator. She was born and raised in Toronto, Ontario.