• Notes on Amma Darko’s Faceless

    This book, Notes on Faceless, is intended as a study guide for students of Amma Darko’s novel, Faceless. Readers of Faceless go back again and again to this novel because it makes them feel and think about many issues in the book that relate to what happens around them. A good work of fiction allows us to imaginatively participate in what it means to be part of human society. Fiction “holds up a mirror” to us about life. It is therefore important to be able to understand and explain, as well as becomes more alert to how literature works. This book aims to help you do so, focusing on Faceless.

    Notes on Faceless discusses what Darko does in Faceless and how she does it: the plot of the story, its setting, characterization, theme and style. Like every other field of study, literature has a special vocabulary that is used by all good students of the subject. Therefore, while discussing the essential elements in Faceless (i.e. plot, setting, etc.), this book also introduces you to some of the important literary terms or technical vocabulary used in reading literature. The goal is to make you familiar with the right language for talking and writing about a work of literature and to teach you how to use this language in your own reading and writing.

    This book takes you further into your study of literature by guiding you to use suitable vocabulary to actually talk and write about a work of literature. After walking you through a discussion of each element, Notes on Faceless gives you practice in writing about Faceless in particular and literature in general.

  • Storytime with the Animals

    After a heavy meal of fufu and palm-nut soup, Kofi Anto, a nine-year old boy decides to visit his friend. Kwaku Manso. On his way Kofi comes across a group of animals including the dog, the goat, the cat, the hen and the lizard under a mango tree. To his greetings all the animals responded eagerly except the lizard, who snubs Kofi for having made a number of  attempts on his life with a catapult. However, Kofi soon reconciles with the Lizard and all the other animals he has offended in one way or the other. He then joins them to listen in turns to their delightful stories.

    Last of all comes Kofi’s interesting story about the mosquito as the animal’s envoy.

    All these stories are simply but vividly narrated by the author.

  • Babingo: The Nobel Rebel

    In Pointe-Noire of the 1950’s lived Paul Makouta, a “civilized” and westernized native who was very proud of communicating exclusively in French with Madeleine Mamatouka, his wife, Alex his only son, and the other children of his household. Under no circumstance did Makouta allow the members of his family speak the language of Metropolitan France with the slightest trace of a Bantu accent. Again, anyone who dared speak Kituba, an indigenous language, with the family’s domestic staff was liable to severe reprimand.

    Clearly, the father’s intransigence was at odds with the communicative practices in the neighborhood and of children commuting daily to school. And it was only natural for Tessa, a fellow pupil from the neighborhood, to successfully convince her teenage friend, Alex Babingo, of the absurdity of Makouta’s directive. Little did Alex Babingo realize that his initial acceptance of the irrationality of the father’s prohibition in colonized Congo was only the start of a trajectory which, from the other side of the world, would impel his return to the very roots of his culture and ancestral traditions in the now independent Republic of Congo or Congo-Brazzaville. Babingo, the Noble Rebel is a poignant and pulsating advocacy for the mainstreaming of indigenous languages into the curriculum of African countries, not least those belonging to the French-speaking world.

  • Tears of a Mother and Other Stories

    If you were Mother Mary, and if your first-born son – the Teacher – was so brutally maltreated and led away to be crucified, what would you do? Cry? Weep? Wail? What would you do?
    In this storybook, Mother Mary tells her own story: the sword that pierced her own heart when she saw what the soldiers did to her son. In tears, she stood by and watched, for what could she do?

    Other stories in this book, narrated by those who met the Teacher personally, reveal great truths and lessons for everyday life. Enjoy  the stories of-

    1.The cockcrow at dawn during the denials
    2.The troubled dreams of the governor 3 wife
    3.Why the governor washed his hands before judgement
    4.The man from Libya who was forced to carry his cross
    5. The reflections of the beam used for the crucifixion
    6.The brutal execution of the 1eacher
    7.The seven last statements of the Teacher

    These are great stories for your reading adventure. The lessons and the truths the narrators learnt are yours for your everyday experience.

  • The Minister’s Daughter

    A highly pampered little girl from an affluent home loses everything one dark morning. With her dear father gone forever, she must now struggle for survival. Not helping with the situation are an austere and depressing village setting and two feuding women – an aggrieved and bad-tempered nurse and a fashionable teacher with high dreams in a questionable relationship.

    In the village school, there is the head teacher who hates this minister’s daughter because of her father. Not even Akuluksi, the one-eyed boy, spares her with deeply hurting teases that breaks her heart. But the minister’s daughter must survive her childhood days.

  • Excess Baggage

    Her mother’s desire to escape the poverty trap means Ablokyiyoe must travel with a human trafficker to La Cote d’Ivoire. At first Ablokyiyoe resists, but a fiasco marriage finally forces her to yield. Ablokyiyoe finds herself in La Cote d’lvoire where she is compelled to engage in an illicit trade.
    The plot of her jealous mistress leads Ablokyiyoe into the house of a murderer. After her miraculous escape, Ablokyiyoe decides to come back to Ghana, her beloved country for good.
    When events don’t go as planned, Ablokyiyoe has to find a way out. Will she be forced to go back to her tormented lifestyle in La Cote d’Ivoire?

    Excess Baggage

    35.00
  • Mornings by the Rails

    A young girl desperately waits for her father to come back from work. No one knows where her father is, but there are rumours that he may never return. When a strange disease plagues their village, this young girl loses her mother and all her siblings to the pangs of death. The hope that her father may come back for her keeps her going until she realises that she herself has the fatal disease. She eagerly waits for him by the side of the rails, still hoping to see him one last time. Mornings by the Rails is only one story out of this interesting and thought-provoking collection of short stories. These stories inspire intriguing lessons that will open your mind to a world of awareness coupled with some vital principles for everyday life.

  • The Fisher Boy

    Kwaku, always vague about his unusual past, opens up about his beginnings as an orphan and fishing slave that overcomes those difficult circumstances.
    In his life, he encountered the most evil in people but also the good. His indomitable spirit and faith in the Supreme Being allowed him to achieve the impossible. You will experience despair, anger, joy, and inspiration through Kwaku’s story.

    The Fisher Boy

    35.00
  • The Triangle

    Poor Ackarm seems to have been born on the wrong side of fate. Pawned at a tender age due to his parent’s inability to repay a money-lender, Ackarm finds himself in the wicked hands of destiny.
    In that evil society, a pawn is the property of his owner. Thus, Ackarm has to endure all sorts of bad treatment meted out to him until a kind man bails him out of his predicament. But like falling from the frying pan into the fire, Ackarm once again finds himself in a wicked web of the Triangle. Something must intervene, or the poor boy’s blood will be shed. In this haunting tale of evil, the ills of the modern day Sakawa networks are revealed.

    The Triangle

    35.00
  • A Bird on the Rose

    “A child must attempt to break a snail, not a tortoise,” the elders have advised. But when Kofi Abbam and Rose Mana meet in inter-schools athletics’ competition, they are eager to defy tradition.

    At a very tender age, and still in school with no means of subsistence, they decide to break a tortoise instead of a snail by engaging in an illicit affair. They drop out of school and get married, and as their children start arriving, their woes keep piling. Lack of subsistence causes these star-crossed lovers to engage in constant fights.

    When Mana can endure it no more, she leaves the marriage with her children and refuses to come back home. Abbam who can’t endure the separation for a long time decides that both of them deserve to live no more.

  • Our Ancestories Bookset: Idia of the Benin Kingdom, Njinga of Ndongo and Matamba Plus Coloring & Activity Books (4 books)

    Age Range: 4 – 12 years

    • Children’s Africana Book Awards (CABA) – 2021 Winner – Best Books for Young Children
    • Wishing Shelf Book Award – 2020 Finalist
    • Kidsshelf Book Cover Award -2020 Winner
    • Eric Hoffer Award – Honourable Mention (Children’s Category) First Horizon Finalist Grand Prize Short List

    The complete set of the Our Ancestories books. Our picture books as well as accompanying workbooks on Queen Idia and Njinga. These are stories of hope and courage that show every young girl is capable of greatness.

    There is a deep divide between the truth of African history and the common understanding of it. Our Ancestories Bookset helps to bridge this gap through various means including stories about two African female leaders and accompanying activity and colouring books.

    This set includes:

    Idia of the Benin Kingdom (Our Ancestories)

    Njinga of Ndongo and Matamba (Our Ancestories)

    Idia of the Benin Kingdom: Coloring and Activity Book (Our Ancestories)

    Njinga of Ndongo and Matamba: Coloring and Activity Book (Our Ancestories)

    Our Ancestories’ vision is to nudge the world towards a point where:

    • There is an avid learning culture for African history.
    • People of African descent are at least as exposed to African history as we are to Western history.
    • Africans look more to our history as we pave a way for the future.
    • Legends that make up African history are mainstream and are introduced to children across the globe.
  • Njinga of Ndongo and Matamba: Coloring and Activity Book (Our Ancestories)

    Age Range: 4 – 12 years

    Njinga of Ndongo and Matamba Diverse Coloring Activity Book For Kids

    Accompanying coloring and activity book to the Njinga of Ndongo and Matamba picture book. Njinga of Ndongo and Matamba follows the story of a renowned African legend named Queen Njinga and serves to teach the historical truth behind her inspirational story in a way that is relatable to today’s kids.

    Created with input from educators and subject matter experts, this unique coloring book is the perfect way to introduce children ages 4 to 13 to the incredible culture of Africa. Filled with over 100 pages of educational content covering ancient African history, young readers are encouraged to learn more about African rulers, art, and facts.

    On every page, you’ll find new exercises, challenges, and creative tasks that will spark imaginations while providing a way to learn about Africa’s rich history and culture.

    This workbook is perfect for teachers and parents who want to provide Afro-centric educational and engaging activities to kids.

  • Idia of the Benin Kingdom: Coloring and Activity Book (Our Ancestories)

    Age Range: 2 – 12 years

    Idia of the Benin Kingdom Diverse Coloring Activity Book For Kids

    Accompanying coloring and activity book to the Idia of the Benin Kingdom picture book.

    Idia of the Benin Kingdom introduces young readers to the story of Queen Idia of the ancient Kingdom of Benin, who helped her son Esigie rule between 1504-1550. This story tells of a young Idia who pursued her dreams, believed in herself, and became the first Queen Mother of Benin.

    The coloring and activity book for kids covers ancient African history by introducing children to uniquely creative worksheets.

    • Inspire Imagination by bringing Queen Idia’s story to life like never before as kids picture what her life may have been like.
    • Get Truly Creative by exploring shape, color and developing the fine motor skills that are important to help allow children to express themselves in a way that stimulates their imagination and creativity.
    • Explore an ancient city with a rich history and culture.
    • Embrace History in a truly creative way by making it fun.
  • Njinga of Ndongo and Matamba (Our Ancestories)

    Age Range: 4 – 12 years

    Njinga of Ndongo and Matamba is the true story of a girl who had a difficult birth but went on to become the Queen of two ancient African kingdoms.

    Revered for her wisdom, courage, and strength, Njinga became a dominant political figure in Angola in the 1600s. This richly illustrated children’s book tells her story and the challenges she faced from the day she was born. Njinga must overcome the jealousy of her brother, the loss of her father, and the encroachment of the Portuguese at the dawn of a time of great trial for the African continent.

    This is the story of hope and courage that shows every young girl is capable of greatness..

    ★ The Story of an Actual Legendary Queen

    Queen Njinga is remembered for defying the odds and standing up for herself and her people.

    ★ A Narrative That Empowers and Motivates

    Njinga’s story is inspiring because she is an outstanding example of female governance in the history of Africa.

    ★ An Author with Passion for African History

    Born and raised in Nigeria, Ekiuwa Aire hopes that her books on African history will instill pride and acceptance in young minds about diverse cultures.

    ★ Beautiful, Vibrant Illustrations

    Natalia Popova studied at Moscow State University where her interest in visual arts and illustration was born.

    ★ Exciting Historical Facts

    Based on true events in Angola in the 1600s, the story of Queen Njinga is beautifully illustrated and presented in a way every child will enjoy and learn from. The book also includes a brief history of the Kingdoms of Ndongo and Matamba, where they were located on a map, as well as information on Queen Njinga’s legacy.

  • Idia of the Benin Kingdom (Our Ancestories)

    Age Range: 4 – 12 years

    • Children’s Africana Book Awards (CABA) – 2021 Winner – Best Books for Young Children
    • Wishing Shelf Book Award – 2020 Finalist
    • Kidsshelf Book Cover Award -2020 Winner
    • Eric Hoffer Award – Honourable Mention (Children’s Category) First Horizon Finalist Grand Prize Short List

    “She became a queen, a warrior, the first woman to fight for the kingdom, and the first Iyoba (Queen Mother) of Benin.”

    What do you know about African History?

    African history spans thousands of years, has been moulded by many intelligent artists, scientists, and thinkers, and is bound to fascinate you.

    Explore the history of Africa in a way that will be more memorable and enjoyable than what you get from traditional textbooks.

    Idia of the Benin Kingdomis an empowering children’s picture book (loved by kids ages 4-12) that takes readers on a beautifully illustrated journey to the 1500s in ancient Africa. Readers are captivated as they watch Idia transform herself from the young and curious daughter of a village warrior to becoming the Queen of the Kingdom of Benin.

    Idia was an actual queen who helped rule the ancient kingdom of Benin with her wisdom, charisma, and prowess. Much has been written about her bravery, and artefacts in her image are treasured in museums all over the world.

    This book imagines what her childhood may have been like, and shares the story of this well-loved and successful African queen in a way that is relatable to young readers.

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