Readers Inspired

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Readers Inspired

The African picture book blog.

07/01/2023

Walking poetry, a work of art

06/21/2023

From my brain to the World 🛫 🌎

The first sighting of , my new book out in the universe.

Do you have your copy yet???

"The Taste of Home" is a contemporary story set in the coastal West African nation of Sierra Leone. It serves as a delightful introduction to the diversity of West Africa, taking readers on a journey from the city to the village.

It is a story about village life NOT rooted in poverty, famine and underdevelopment.

Summary: Sometimes, away from the place you know and love the most, you will find home.

Each year, Mariama looks forward to spending the festive December break with her family and friends in Freetown. But, this year, her plans take an unexpected turn when she learns that her family will go 'home' to the 'village' instead of spending the December break in the city!

Will Mariama be happy about this surprise change to her plans and learn to accept another place as 'home'?

Check the link in my bio to purchase a as "The Taste of Home."

06/09/2023

🎉📚 Sitting on Top of the World!! 🎉 'The Taste of Home' is finally hitting the shelves on June 17th! 📆✨✨✨

🌟 Let the countdown begin! ⏰✨

📢📢 PS: Stay tuned for an exciting giveaway coming up soon! 😉✨🎁

05/31/2023

📚✨ Hi everyone! I see some new faces and wanted to make sure I greeted you well.

My name is Aminata. I am a picture book author working on my sophomore title✍️🌍.

I am also the face behind Readers Inspired! I started this space after working as an early childhood teacher in the US, the UK and the UAE. I desired a space that celebrated African children's literature. I'm thrilled to share my journey as an author and my passion for African heritage picture books 🎉🎊

Introduce yourself and what you do! Also, if you have a favorite African heritage children's book, let me know! 📖✨

03/06/2023

📚🌍 As a Fulani author, I am passionate about representation in children's books and addressing the narrow portrayals of African life.

One thing that's always bothered me is the portrayal of village life in picture books. Unfortunately, African villages are often stigmatized and misunderstood in the Western world. Rather than being viewed as beautiful, rich, and completely whole communities that deserve to be celebrated, stories set in rural communities often depict them as impoverished or needing modernization.

🌟 That's why my second book is all about showcasing the beauty and vibrancy of village life in Sierra Leone. I can't wait for young readers to join Mariama on her journey.

It took five years to get this story where I wanted but Alhamdulilah! 📚🌍
.

02/26/2023

🥁 Drumroll, please! 🥁 Introducing the stunning second-choice front cover for my upcoming picture book! 🎨 Screams in sunshine and fairy dust 😍!

I loved this cover so much because it perfectly captured the sweetness of the lead character. I can't wait to introduce you to her and the adventure she goes on. Stay tuned for more sneak peeks and the release date!

10/04/2022

The updated rough sketches for my second picture book 😲 are in and they are so close to the illustrations that I have conceptualized over the past year.

It is always interpretation working with illustrators because sometimes their interpretation of how characters in a manuscript look or what the background shows can differ completely from what the author of the manuscript envisioned.

But a good author-illustrator relationship will push you both to come up with something that is better than you both imagined.

Swipe left to see what my illustrator envisioned Mariama to look like initially 🙃 it took a long time but we eventually got to where we needed to be ❤️

09/10/2022

Leave a ✋🏾if your little one picked up the same book for the 100th time this week😩

You aren't alone because re-reading is a cornerstone skill in early reading development. What does that mean? Well, as young children learn to read there is a natural stage where children are interest in re-reading certain books. On the bright side, re-reading supports so many foundational literacy skills. On the flip side, it can be a bit 🥴🤯 for us lol.

09/10/2022

Leave a ✋🏾 if your little one picked up the same book for the 100th time this week 😩
You aren't alone because re-reading is a cornerstone skill in early reading development. What does that mean? Well, as young children learn to read there is a natural stage of interest in re-reading certain books. On the bright side, re-reading supports so many foundational literacy skills. On the flip side, it can be a bit 😩 for us lol.

08/31/2022

If you're interested in showing your students or children the effects of climate change and deforestation, check out Planting the Trees of Kenya.

This story showcases how the author grew up in the highlands of Kenya. As a child, she was so amazed at how beautiful her home was, as the area was flourishing with nature and wildlife.

Eventually, Wangari left to go to college, and finally returned home after several years and was shocked at how different her home looked as it was unrecognizable.

Learn more: https://amzn.to/2Yd2bbM

08/29/2022

Meet Zimbabwean children’s book author Christine Mapondera-Talley!

Through the power of the internet, we connected via social media (thanks, Instagram) and quickly found out we shared a passion of African representation in children’s literature. What inspires me most about Christine is her visionary nature. She is an African woman with a mission.

Here are 3️⃣ amazing highlights about Christine:

1️⃣ Her favorite African heritage book is The Girl Who Buried Her Dreams in a Can by Tererai Trent.
2️⃣ Before writing she was a fashion designer.
3️⃣ Christine was born in Chinhoyi, Zimbabwe, and now resides in Chicago.

Check out the full blog post and learn more about Christine Mapondera-Talley here: https://www.readersinspired.com/blog/christine-mapondera-talley

08/26/2022

Fun Fact About Me!

I have always loved food and cooking! It is also an excellent way to learn about other cultures.

One of my favorite African dishes to make is Doro wot, it is a delicious slow-cooked stew from Ethiopia and Eritrea.

What's your favorite food to cook for friends?

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