#BooksiesFavouriteFive: Booksie’s favourite Ghanaian children’s authors
Booskie’s library and bookshop are stocked with books by some of the most creative children’s authors in Africa. We have books written by authors from more than 15 African countries and our collection continues to grow daily. A majority of the books we have are written by Ghanaians because our homebase is in Ghana. Let's take a look at some of Booksie’s favourite Ghanaian authors and the amazing books they have published.
Jeanelle Yinbomah Atalobra
Seven-year-old Jeanelle is also a member of Booksie’s Book Club and is the youngest author in our collection. Jeanelle published her first book, The Musical Talent Show at age 6 and has since gone on to publish a second one. She is an amazing reader who loves to play the piano, draw, sing and dance.
The Musical Talent Show tells the story of four friends from diverse backgrounds who love to play musical instruments and how they overcome challenges in order to put on a musical talent show. Jeanelle’s second book Circle Time with Siya and Nkosi is about two siblings who move from Cape Town, South Africa to a quiet village called Coffee Bay. A storm teaches them the value in being a good neighbour and how books light up our world.
Nana Ama Buckman
Nana Ama has had a passion for writing since secondary school. She has more than seven years of experience in writing and publishing and is currently the Publishing Manager at Buck Press Limited.
Nana Ama is the author of the “The Adventures of Naughty Kofi” series, a collection of stories about a little boy who gets into all sorts of mischief and adventures. The series is a huge hit with our Book Club members because of how easy to read and understand and because of the bold and engaging illustrations.
Elizabeth-Irene Baitie
I remember reading a book by Elizabeth-Irene Baitie as a teenager. I recall that once I picked up the book I could not put it down until I finished it. Elizabeth-Irene won the first prize in the Burt Award for African Literature and the Macmillan Prize for African stories (Junior Readers). She writes for teenagers and focuses on subjects such as friendship, self identity and senior high school life in Ghana.
Some of her popular titles are The Twelfth Heart, The Dorm Challenge, Angel in Mucky Shorts and Saints in Brown sandals.
Delali Avemega
Our next favourite author describes himself as an “artpreneur” and “logosmith”. Delali Avemega writes, illustrates and publishes his own books. One of the unique things about his books are the vibrant illustrations which immediately attract children. His books are suitable for children ages 3 to 8. Delali is a good friend of our reading community and we have been honoured to have various storytime sessions with him.
Some of his bestsellers include These are our Heroes: 20 Change Makers from Ghana and 24 Change Makers from Africa. As the titles suggest, the books talk about influential people who made significant contributions to Ghana or Africa. He recently released two new books Lucky Lemons and Where Did the Trees Go which centre around problem solving and preserving the environment.
Ruby Yayra Goka
Ruby Yayra Goka is a multiple Burt Award for African Literature winner. She has written more than 15 books and writes for children, teenagers and young adults. She is not only a successful author, she also has a thriving career as a dentist in one of the top medical institutions in Ghana.
Her recent book “The Trotro Trio: Blast from the Past” talks about 3 children who go back in time to experience a historical time in Ghana. Some of her other titles include When Shackles Fall, The Haunted Mansion, To Kiss a Girl and The Lost Royal Treasure.