Masego lived in the South African Village of Ukuthuthuka, which means growth in Zulu. He was a nine-year-old boy who grew up and lived with his Umama and Gogo (mother and grandmother). The two main tribes Ophuzi (yellow) and Mnyama (black), were trapped in a never-ending cycle of conflict that carried a deep sense of …
Life in Doll Cottage is magical and always full of adventure. Doll Lady is dizzy with excitement and has big plans. However, something happens that turns everything upside down. Jabali, Pendo, Fadhili, Jameela, Amani and all the other dolls are not happy. The yarn balls only make matters worse. Can Doll Lady help the dolls …
“Don’t look now, but guess who’s staring at you,” Jabali whispered, glancing at the rose bushes behind Pendo. “Not Yonga again!” Pendo shrieked, jumping up and turning to scan the bush. The dolls were having a picnic under the big Jacaranda tree outside Doll Cottage. It was a beautiful sunny afternoon. They had washed down …
“It’s cold today,”Mwenzi said, rubbing her arms. “You can say that again!” replied Doll Lady, sipping her tea. “It’s cold today,” Mwenzi repeated. “Yeah, you can say that again,” Doll Lady nodded. “It’s cold…” “She’s just agreeing with you.” Jameela said, laughing. “Please don’t say it again. We heard you the first two times.” Mwenzi …
The dolls had an amazing afternoon eating the fluffy cinnamon pancakes that Doll Lady made and washed them down with chilled fresh gooseberry juice. They ate and chatted and laughed. Finally, there was just one delicious pancake left on the plate. They looked at each other, suddenly silent. “If no one wants the last pancake, …
It was a beautiful sunny day in Doll Village. A cool breeze blew a scent of roses and something yummy into Doll Cottage. Wait… it smelled like… could it be… Cinnamon pancakes?? Those were the dolls’ favorite! The dolls tiptoed one by one towards the kitchen, but the yummy aroma was not coming from the …
“Pendo, love,” Doll Lady called. “Could you hand me that basket of yarn please?” Jameela giggled, as Pendo got up to pass the basket. “What’s so funny?”Doll Lady asked, smiling at Jameela. “Thank you love, she said to Pendo,”as she took the basket. Jameela giggled again and all the Dolls looked at her curiously. “It’s …
Drip thup plink plonk… The rain beat down on the roof and windows of Doll Cottage. The rainy season was finally here. Doll Village had gone through a long dry season. Doll Lady and the villagers were thrilled about the rain and got busy planting. Vegetables and maize and beans. Trees, flowers and even grass. …
Chisomo woke up to the call of Pipi the lark who was the beautiful morning bird of her village. Pipi was always the first awake and would sing charming songs to wake all the other birds. Chisomo quickly reached for the jerry can under her bed and made her way towards the door. Outside, lay …
It was a bright morning and Sama was elated, antsy and ready to go on an adventure on a boat to watch the fleeting but epic sunset. She however had to help her mother weave baskets before leaving. Sama came from a family of basket weavers. This was their way of life going back many …
In case anyone is wondering why Jameela is so quiet this afternoon, there’s a very good reason. No, she doesn’t have her nose buried in a book as usual, but she does have her nose buried in something. It’s a postcard from her new pen pal Maisha, who lives in England. Her Mum and Doll …
“What’s Ouaga…do…?” Jameela stuttered. “Ouagadougou.” Doll Lady pronounced it for her, as she put a stamp on the package. “It’s the capital city of Burkina Faso. We’re sending this lovely doll to a little girl there.” “Yes, don’t you know anything?”Jabali said confidently putting the package on the table for Doll Lady. “Burkina Faso is …
It was Friday evening and the dolls were full of zest. They were itching for an adventure. Jabali and Fadhili were building huts out of cushions, which looked great, until the dolls tried to get into them. The huts fell on top of the dolls and the dolls rolled with laughter and started again. Doll …
It was in a little cupboard in the attic of Doll Cottage. A sun-coloured piece of cloth with some interesting writing near the bottom. The yellow and orange and golden flowers were so pretty, but what interested Jabali the most were the words, written in Kiswahili. Kila mlango… It was a rainy day in Doll …
When Amani sings, even the birds stop and listen. Well…except for that little sparrow on the window. He just whistles along. When Amani plays the drums, everyone in Doll Cottage just wants to dance to the sound from the Isikuti drums. He plays them so well. Slow, then fast then slow again. Some people are …
Something exciting happened in the Doll Cottage garden on Valentine’s Day. Pendo was so excited, she couldn’t stop jumping up and down. “Guess what? Remember the seeds I planted in the garden last month? The ones that grew into little green seedlings with itsy bitsy leaves? Well… today they have pretty white flowers opening up. …
Lulu and I were good friends. Every day we would go outside to play. One day, Lulu’s mom came home with a bicycle for her. She bought Lulu a helmet so that she would be safe and in case she fell, her head was protected. Once Lulu learned to ride the bike, she felt she …
Kioko and I were having a great time playing in the garden. Soon the sun was going to bed and it was time to go home. On the way to the house, Kioko spotted something hanging on a leaf. He could see a butterfly trying to get out of it. It was a cocoon. He …
It was a calm evening in the forest. Dove, after a long day of flying around in the sky, decided to head to the river to drink some water for he was thirsty. Bee, who had been working all day producing honey had also decided to drink water from the same river. As bee was …
Zuri loved to read and find out new information about anything and everything. At school, she was always at the library engrossed in a book or two, trying to see what new thing she could learn. During lessons, Zuri loved to share the information that she found with her classmates, and they were usually keen …
Here’s another book by More Africa Series . This one has got to be my favorite one yet….. Aunty Fatuma is upset because her bracelet is not only missing, but when she finds it, it’s broken. The bracelet is precious because it links her to past generations in her family. Each bead has a story …
When growing up, every other day was githeri day in our home and in many homes across Kenya. I believe that the number one reason for my mum was because maize and beans were readily available, it was easy to freeze and store in bulk and quick to cook, especially when you got unexpected visitors …
In my search for Kenyan story books, l came across More Africa Series whose aim is to create mirrors for children to see a reflection of their reality. In this book, school is out and like typical Kenyan holidays, Jasiri, Zuri and Toto’s parents take them upcountry to visit their grandparents where they learn so …
Super Lisu; My Super Hair Super Lisu is about Kendi, an 8 year old girl from Nairobi who is not aware of what she possesses. She looks for all the reasons why she is just an ordinary girl; from her looks, to how she talks to where she lives. It’s like she’s on a mission …
It was many many years ago and it hadn’t rained in a long time. The sun was shining over the Aberdare Ranges like never before. Hyena was hungry. He hadn’t eaten in a while. As he walked through the Aberdare forest looking for food, his nostrils began to expand as they had picked up an …
