Additional information
by Ada Ari (Author), Yulia Tomenko (Illustrator)
Author Biography
My name is Ada and I am on a mission to promote diversity and inclusion in children's literature. I am touring the African continent and retelling some of the most loved and shared African folktales in the form of beautifully-illustrated children's picture books. These story books are historical artifacts - returning a piece of the African legacy that was lost over centuries of migration from the continent. These are stories that every child of African descent would have grown up with and had in their hearts/memories if they had grown up on the continent.
My children were my inspiration. I grew up in Nigeria and did not want my second-generation American children to miss out on these stories that my grandparents and family members told me. As I took a step back, I realized a much broader applicability. These folktales are unique pieces of African culture that have existed for centuries. By sharing the stories with children of all backgrounds, I am also hoping to realize my dream - for future generations to grow up with a deeper awareness of and appreciation for African culture because they grew up with a piece of the history and legacy in a medium as unassuming as an entertaining story book.
Ada-Ari Books feature fun, kid-appropriate geography lessons highlighting the specific country in Africa that each story came from. In addition, each hardback book includes a pair of fun fact cards about the specific African tribe that each story originated from. Children will get a great story, a good moral lesson, and a geography/cultural lesson as part of the experience with Ada-Ari Books.
