Fans of South African TV and radio personality Carol Ofori will be pleased to know that her new children’s book series, The African Adventures of Sena and Katlego, is finally in bookstores across the country.
Ofori announced in February that she had written a series of six children’s books, which have now published by Lingua Franca Publishers.
Celebrating Africa
Illustrated by Sasha Richards, the book series is a “delightful and educational read for children which celebrates Africa and its various countries, landscapes, traditions and more,” a statement from Ofori’s publicists said.
It tells the story of a little boy named Sena and his magical teddy bear Katlego who visits family members in different countries on the continent. Geared at readers aged 4-12, the books celebrate the magic of Africa as Sena embarks on adventures to South Africa, Uganda, Chad, Egypt, eSwatini, and Ghana.
“I am so excited that The African Adventures of Sena and Katlego is finally out for the world to enjoy,” Ofori says.
“These books mean so much to me. I love the continent we live on with my entire being and I think the world needs more African story books for African kids by African authors.”
Carol adds that she hopes to close the gap when it comes to learning about and understanding the different cultures, languages and customs each African country brings.
“Africa is such a diverse country and it has so much to offer. But, in my opinion, the people and their cultures are what makes Africa so great,” she explains.
“Introducing young African children to the diversity of this beautiful continent was a driving force for me during the writing process and I am thrilled with the result. Seeing the books in stores is a dream come true for me and I am so excited about sharing these stories with children around the world.”
South African children’s books
Ofori joins Praline Hudson among South African authors who have published children’s books in recent weeks.
Hudson, who is a teacher based in Barcelona, Spain, released her book Nandi in KwaZulu at the end of April. It tells the story of Nandi and her friends growing up in a carefree KwaZulu-Natal, and the fun involved in an age-old game.
Parents can read it to their kids aged 0 to five years old, while kids aged between six and seven can read it on their own.