Click to see an excerpt
Sidikiba's Kora Lesson

Written and Illustrated by
Ryan Thomas Skinner

Winner of Independent Book Publishers Association Benjamin Franking Award for multicultural literature

Listen to the Kora being played by Sidiki Diabaté

What is a kora?

About the Author

Ryan Skinner Playing Kora

Ryan Thomas Skinner is an author, illustrator, musician, and ethnomusicologist who, for the past ten years, has conducted extensive research on traditional and modern music in Mali, West Africa. Ryan is a longtime student of kora master Toumani Diabaté and has performed and taught kora music in Europe and the United States. The recipient of numerous fellowships and awards, Ryan holds a Ph.D. in Ethnomusicology from Columbia University. Sidikiba's Kora Lesson is Ryan's first children's book.