The inspiration for songwriter/poet/singer K’Naan’s hit “Wavin’ Flag” starts with his grandfather, and continues with his experience as a Somali refugee. “Until I was thirteen years old, I lived in Mogadishu, a city that was like a sparkling jewel.” K’Naan’s grandfather was a well-known Somali poet. When war broke out, he wrote a short poem for frightened K’Naan: “When I get older, I will be stronger. / They’ll call me freedom, just like a waving flag.” “Poems will be your courage,” said his grandfather when K’Naan’s mother finally got papers so the family could leave their country. His grandfather stayed behind. In Canada, K’Nann wore sandals in the snow, “but by the time the snow melted, my English was better.” Music was something that helped him connect with other kids, both refugees and Canadians. “Singing made me feel as if anything were possible.” The story’s honest, engaging first-person voice is authentic and childlike. The art is a wonderful combination of realism and abstraction, as poignant faces sit atop bodies and against backdrops full of energy and movement. End matter provides additional information about Somalia and K’Naan, as well as the complete original lyrics to his song. (Ages 7–10)

“Wavin’Flag” has become an international anthem. Its powerful words of hope have crossed generations and borders, and have made K’NAAN an international star.

In his first book for children, When I Get Older, Somali-Canadian poet, rapper, singer, and songwriter K’NAAN tells his own story. Born in Somalia, he grew up in Mogadishu. His grandfather was a renowned poet who passed on his love of words to his grandson. When the Somali Civil War began in 1991, K’NAAN was just thirteen. His mother made the difficult decision to move her family so that they could grow up in safety. First in New York and then in Toronto, K’NAAN faced many challenges.

Like so many other immigrants, he had to make a place for himself in a world of alien customs, clothes, and language. His road was a hard one: he lost many friends to violence. But K’NAAN’s love of music, and his enormous talent, became a way for him to connect with his past, with his classmates, and eventually, to millions of people around the world. Not only does K’NAAN tell a story that will inspire and encourage young readers, but he provides a brief history of the Somalian conflict. The lyrics of “Wavin’ Flag” are also included.

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 honors, 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 World Cup theme song. There are now twenty-two versions of the song, which hit #1 in nineteen countries.