Imagine We Rwanda has unveiled a children’s book that aims at teaching little ones about the animals in Akagera National Park, and environmental conservation. The book is customised with a child’s name and has information to excite and engage them in reading. Weekender’s Joan Mbabazi had a chat with Lina Irene Ishimwe, the sales and marketing officer at Imagine We Rwanda, about the essence of the book.

Tell us more about these books. What inspired the idea?

The baby books concept was inspired by les Contes de l’éléphant from Czeck Republic that makes the same personalised book. We are looking at a fun and engaging book that can enable bonding time between parents and their little loved ones.  The book includes a virtual family trip to Akagera National Park where children, through the colourful illustrations, will be able to identify the animals in the story. This book encourages families to take real trips to Akagera National Park to visit the animals. The fact that it is personalised makes it very unique and an amazing gift to give to a child. 

Which age group is likely to gain from these books?

The age group that benefits from the baby books is from months to six years of age as it can boost both their listening and reading skills. The information and illustrations are enabled to attract the attention of children and keep them glued to it.

How much are the books and how accessible are they? 

The baby books cost Rwf 10,000 each and when a client asks for delivery, they pay an extra of Rwf 1,500 in Kigali. The books are made by customised order in just 24 hours. We request information such as the full names of the child, their gender and the preferred language, either Kinyarwanda, French, English, or Swahili. 

Which kind of information is in the books? 

It is about the introduction of the lions in the park of Akagera where all the other animals join in to welcome them and make them feel at home. They sing and dance together with our children who become the main characters in the story. 

What’s the essence of these books to little ones?

When a child hears his or her name being called out while reading, it stimulates their curiosity to learn further, listen more and discover the animals that live in the park and nature in general. It is a board book, which makes it fun to hold for children and can’t tear it apart but instead play with it after reading. The book has been augmented.

Who wrote the books? 

The story in the book was created and written by Dominique Alonga, illustrated by Mika Hirwa in 2018. So far, we have sold over 600 customised books.

Is it a compilation of many stories in one book?

No, it is one story per book. So far one book is out; we are creating another story, which will be shared soon with new interesting ideas.