The list of accolades continues to grow for Professor Thuli Madonsela with her first children’s book.
With contributions from her family and inspired by her granddaughter Melokuhle, Madonsela officially launched Melo’s Kingdom at the Inanda Club in Sandton on 22 October.
The story is about a little girl who goes on a journey to discover who she is, rising to the occasion after acquiring wisdom, the right values and knowledge through fables and proverbs.
“For many years I wanted to extend to today’s little ones the joy of the African fables and proverbs that were part of our staple diet when we were growing up. It was only much later as a grown-up that I realised that storytelling was how ancient societies passed down wisdom, knowledge and values,” said Madonsela.
Melo’s Kingdom takes children on a wonderful adventure to the African bush with Melo and her special animal friends. The idea for the book came to Madonsela after watching the movie Christopher Robin on a return flight from London.
One of the supporting characters, Nzinga, is on a mission to remind Melo of her royal heritage and the importance of her stepping up and claiming her place in the world. “The royal heritage I had in mind was celestial royalty that every child has a claim to. Some children are not aware that they are divine princesses and princes hence they settle for a diminished significance in life that others assign them,” she added.
“Like the fables and proverbs we grew up with, the stories in Melo’s Kingdom are character-building. Buried in these stories are pearls of wisdom principles for living a life well-lived and images that transport the reader or listener to enchanting worlds far away.”
She added that instilling a love and passion for reading in children at an early age is important because not only does it build self-confidence and social emotional skills but it also expands their vocabulary, stimulates their imagination and helps them to develop language and listening skills.
“We need to instil a moral compass in our children and Melo’s Kingdom aims to help establish this in a delightful way,” Madonsela concluded.
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