Page 79 - Msingi Afrika Magazine Issue 19
P. 79
Book Review
the book, so both of them need
to be present when the publishers
are selling the book. This has been
a greater challenge in the past year
with the restrictions around Covid
19 and the reduction in physical
events where the publisher-author
duo can present the book.
In future, they hope to enter the Af-
rikan market, as moral based story-
telling has always been a centerpiece
of our culture on the continent and
something that should not be lost.
To contact the authors or for pur-
chasing queries, please use:
Email: hello@brainchildpublica-
tions.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.
com/brainchildpub/
allowing young children to think out of positive imagery about black
of the box and grow up inspired to people in the media, particularly in
change the world for the better. the fantasy genre, where anything is
The Fall of Snow is their maiden possible. They started to brainstorm
publication and seeks to encourage solutions for all of this and The Fall
children and parents to explore their of Snow was one of the resulting
imagination and creativity together. ideas. They wanted the story to have
The publishers’ motto is “To change a moral, just as Afrikan stories of
the world, change your perception”, old, relaying wisdom via fantasy. Ini-
an endeavor they undertake with tially, they had envisioned the story
this book. as a cartoon, but opted to start off
with a book. The pair are about to Author: George Roberts
Where did the idea come release their second book, A Night
from? at the Circus, which they term, ‘a
modern folktale told in rhyme’.
While George comes from a tech-
nology background and Mark from
an electrical background, and both Challenges and Reception
have a love for Afrikan history and The Fall of Snow has been received
culture. The original idea for the well by children in the UK who like
book came to them in 2007, while the characters and enjoy the story.
they were discussing the challenges The book does well in the winter
they experienced as British-born in the UK, due in part to it being
Ghanaians and the elements of their the gifting season and in part the
culture, such as language and prov- nature of the story. The publishers
erbs, that had been lost as a result say that the biggest challenge in the Author: Mark Ampaw
of not being born on the continent. UK market for all independent au-
For them, this meant that they had thors of Afrikan children’s books is
to be intentional regarding learning visibility to the target market. Their
about themselves and their history. target market is the children, how-
At that time there was not a lot ever, it is the parents who purchase
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