this children’s book of african proverbs is an illustrated ode to the wisdom gathered from the african continent

If you recognize titles like ‘The Ghanaian Goldilocks’, ‘Tallulah the Tooth Fairy CEO’,’ ‘K is for Kahlo’ and ‘Z is for Zora’ then you are probably familiar with boutique publishing maven Dr. Tamara Pizzoli. Pizzoli is the African American, Italy-based author and publisher who writes the kind of concept books that she would have liked to read as a child. Pizzoli’s newest book (and fourteenth published title) is ‘Jewels from Our Ancestors: A Book of African Proberbs’.

‘Jewels from our Ancestors’ is a short illustrated literary collection of wisdom gathered from the African continent. The book, “honors the elders who have come before us and gifted us with sensible sayings that compel both readers and listeners to reflect, learn and grow.” Pizzoli collaborated with illustrator Jamilla Okubo, whose work she has admired for years. “I saw some paintings of Jamilla’s years ago online and fell in love. When I had the idea for this book, I knew she was the right artist to illustrate it. I waited over a year for her to be available, and it was well worth the wait. Her bold illustrations and patterns capture the magic of each proverb magnificently,” says Pizzoli. The pair had so much fun creating ‘Jewels from Our Ancestors’ that they’re already working on the next installment!

“It’s important for me to share just a few of the countless wise gems that the African continent holds with as many readers as possible. So much of what we read as children and adults becomes etched in our hearts for years to come. We revisit the words that ring true with us again and again. I think that makes Jewels from the Ancestors: A Book of African Proverbs a very powerful and necessary book for readers of all ages,” Pizzoli explains.

Jewels from Our Ancestors is currently available for preorder on The English Schoolhouse’s website, www.theenglishschoolhouse.com, and will be available via Amazon late July 2018.