Senegal
Awa and the Singing Baobab
The old village baobab has lost its song. With help from Mame Awa, your child sets out to find it.
Personalized books · ages 3 to 8
Stories where your child is the hero
Their name, their skin, their hair, their culture. Tales from Africa, the Caribbean, North America and Europe, in English, French or both.
One email, at launch. No ads.
Page 5
Awa scoots over a little, then a little more. “Come, Khadija, there’s room here!” Two more spoons, and the bowl grows bigger.
Malik scoots over a little, then a little more. “Come, Khadija, there’s room here!” Two more spoons, and the bowl grows bigger.
Léa scoots over a little, then a little more. “Come, Khadija, there’s room here!” Two more spoons, and the bowl grows bigger.
Kofi scoots over a little, then a little more. “Come, Khadija, there’s room here!” Two more spoons, and the bowl grows bigger.
More than a story: confidence
A child who sees themselves as the hero dares more. Our stories give them a place, roots, and the wish to help others.
They see themselves as the hero
Their face, their hair and their name on the cover: stories are for them too. That is where confidence begins.
They are proud of their roots
Dakar, Pointe-à-Pitre, Harlem, Toronto, Brussels: real places, words, dishes and celebrations the family recognizes.
They learn to help
In every story, the hero acts for others: giving the baobab its song back, turning an empty lot into a garden, sharing the big bowl.
A book in their image in two minutes
Create the hero
Name, girl or boy, skin tone, hairstyle, wax-print outfit. The preview changes as you go.
Pick a story
41 tales, in English, French or bilingual. Add a dedication for the last page.
Read together
On iPad, phone or computer, even offline. Read-aloud is included.
41 stories, four regions of the world
Every parent sees stories from home first. All of them stay available, in both languages.
Senegal
Malik and the Big Bowl of Teranga
One Sunday in Dakar, a new neighbour turns up just as the thiéboudiène is served, and your child discovers that the big bowl of teranga always has room.
Côte d’Ivoire
Zuri and the Secret of the Cocoa Tree
At Papi Kouassi’s farm in Côte d’Ivoire, your child follows cocoa all the way from pod to cup and discovers the magic of patience.
Nigeria
Noah and the Talking Drum
In Lagos, Grandpa Femi teaches your child to make the dùndún talk, just in time to send Grandma an important message.
Ghana
Inès and the Colours of Kente
In Bonwire, Ghana, an old weaver shows your child what each kente colour means, to weave a one-of-a-kind gift for a new baby cousin.
Kenya
Kofi and the Lost Baby Elephant
A baby elephant is lost on the Amboseli savanna: with Auntie Wanjiru the park ranger, your child follows the clues to bring him home.
South Africa
Léa and the Ubuntu Garden
On a Soweto street, your child discovers Ubuntu and brings the neighbours together to turn an empty lot into a shared vegetable garden.
Madagascar
Moussa and the Lemur of Baobab Avenue
On the Avenue of the Baobabs, a cheeky lemur leads your child to discover Madagascar’s giant trees… and a baby baobab that needs protecting.
The Serengeti, Tanzania
Awa and the Giraffe Who Couldn’t Hide
In the savanna, a little giraffe always loses at hide-and-seek. Your child finds her a job that only she can do.
Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire
Malik’s Holiday in Abidjan
For the summer holidays, your child flies to Abidjan, Mamie and Papi’s big city, and discovers that here, everyone is in it together.
Guadeloupe
Zuri and the Carnival Mask
Great-grandpa’s mask blows away just before the parade. A hummingbird and a gwoka drummer help your child get it back.
Martinique
Noah and the Turtle of the Cove
On holiday with Papi Léon, your child discovers the beach’s secret and becomes a protector of sea turtles.
Haiti
Inès and the Kite of Jacmel
In Jacmel at Easter, your child builds a kite with Granpapa… and finds out that a kite mended with love can fly higher than all the rest.
Jamaica
Kofi and the Rhythm of the Blue Mountains
On Granny Maud’s coffee farm, your child discovers that the whole mountain is making music.
Trinidad and Tobago
Léa and the Magic Steelpan
In Port of Spain, as Carnival draws near, your child joins the neighbourhood steel band and hunts for the perfect note.
Basse-Terre, Guadeloupe
Moussa and Little Kolibri
In Grandma’s Creole garden, your child helps a tiny hummingbird discover that being small can be very helpful.
New York, Harlem
Awa and the Harlem Library
On a Harlem street, your child walks into the neighbourhood library and decides to write a brand-new story.
South Carolina
Malik and Grandma’s Sweetgrass Baskets
In South Carolina’s Lowcountry, Grandma Hattie teaches your child an art that came from West Africa: weaving sweetgrass baskets.
Toronto, Canada
Zuri and the First Snow
Newly arrived in Toronto from Dakar, your child discovers snow, makes a friend and shares a warm bowl of mafé.
Atlanta, USA
Noah and the Science Fair
In Atlanta, your child’s solar system falls apart on the morning of the science fair, and there’s just enough time to fix it with Mama.
New Orleans, USA
Inès and the Neighbourhood Trumpet
In New Orleans, an old jazz musician lends your child his trumpet, and practice leads all the way to the neighbourhood’s big parade.
Los Angeles, USA
Kofi and His Crown
At Miss Pearl’s salon and then at school, your child discovers that their hair is a real crown.
Houston, Texas
Léa and the Juneteenth Celebration
At a big Juneteenth picnic in Houston, Grandpa Joe tells your child the story of a day of freedom.
The Laurentians, Quebec
Moussa and the Snowshoe Hare
One snowy morning, Little Hare turns all white and feels he’s not himself anymore, but your child knows him by his heart.
Paris, France
Awa and the World Snack Day
For World Snack Day at school, your child brings Mamie’s thiakry… and discovers that two cultures make a treasure worth sharing.
London, United Kingdom
Malik and Grandad’s Suitcase
In the attic, your child finds the suitcase Grandad brought from Jamaica long ago, then hops on a red bus to follow his story.
Brussels, Belgium
Zuri and the Colours of Matongé
On a grey Sunday, Papa takes your child to Matongé, the Congolese neighbourhood of Brussels, where fabrics, rumba and neighbours burst with colour.
Provence, France
Noah and the Tortoise from Far Away
A little tortoise arrives in Mamie’s garden from far away. Your child shows her there’s room for everyone here.
Senegal
Inès, Tortoise and Hummingbird
A very slow tortoise and a very fast hummingbird can’t stop teasing each other, until your child shows them that together they’re unbeatable.
Jamaica
Kofi and Anancy’s Stories
On Grandpa Desmond’s verandah, your child helps Anancy, the clever little spider from Ghana, win all the stories in the world.
Ghana
Léa and Anansi’s Pot of Wisdom
Nana Adwoa tells how Anansi the spider tried to keep all the wisdom in the world, and it’s your child who gives him the best idea of all.
Côte d’Ivoire
Moussa and Kacou Ananze the Spider
Grandma Ahou tells the tale of Kacou Ananze, the greedy spider who wanted to go to two feasts at once, and your child steps into the story to get him out of a tight spot.
United States
Awa and Brer Rabbit’s Briar Patch
Under the old pecan tree, Granddaddy tells your child how Brer Rabbit outsmarted Brer Fox, and your child uses the trick to win at hide-and-seek.
Nigeria
Malik and the Tortoise’s Shell
Mbe the tortoise borrows feathers to fly to the sky feast… and eats everything! With Nnenne, your child finds out why his shell is covered in beautiful patterns.
Martinique
Zuri and Compère Lapin
Compère Tigre wants to gobble up the whole party feast! With Grann Fernande and Compère Lapin, your child finds a trick as gentle as a full-moon night.
Kenya
Noah, Tall Giraffe and Little Elephant
At an Amboseli waterhole, a giraffe and a baby elephant are squabbling: your child shows them how to help each other, and it all ends in a trunk shower!
Senegal
Inès and Leuk the Hare
One evening, Mame Fatou tells an old Wolof tale, and your child steps inside it to help Leuk the Hare outsmart greedy Bouki the Hyena.
France
Kofi and the New Neighbour
Your child loves football and noise, the new neighbour loves books and quiet: what if they invented a game all their own?
Trinidad and Tobago
Léa and Papa Bois of the Forest
In the Trinidad forest, your child meets Papa Bois, the gentle old guardian of the woods, and learns to look, listen and leave things as they are.
Haiti
Moussa and Bouki’s Peanut Butter Pot
Krik? Krak! Grandpa tells your child how Ti Malice emptied Bouki’s pot… and your child invents an ending where everyone gets to share.
Kenya
Awa and the Great Tug-of-War
Sungura the hare challenges the elephant and the hippo to a tug-of-war: with Bibi Wambui, your child learns that the smallest can win… with confidence.
Every child can see themselves
8 skin tones from very light to very dark, 8 hairstyles, and families like yours.
Mixed families
Mom and Dad can have a different skin tone from the child’s. Grandparents follow, in every story.
English, French, or both on the same page
Bilingual mode helps diaspora families pass on both languages. The voice reads English, then French.
Le dimanche suivant, toc, toc ! C’est Khadija et sa maman, avec un grand plat de thiakry bien frais à partager. Awa ouvre la porte en grand. Maintenant, elle connaît le secret : le bol n’est jamais trop petit quand le cœur est grand. Ça, c’est la teranga.
The next Sunday: knock, knock! It’s Khadija and her mum, carrying a big dish of cool, creamy thiakry to share. Awa throws the door wide open. Now she knows the secret: a bowl is never too small when the heart is big. That’s teranga.
Questions
What age is it for?
Ages 3 to 8. Little ones listen with read-aloud; older children read on their own with a font designed for young readers.
Which devices?
iPad, iPhone, Android and web browsers. One account finds its books on every device.
How much does it cost?
One story is free. The rest of the catalog comes with a yearly subscription priced for each region. Prices will be announced at launch.
What do you do with my child’s data?
We only keep the first name and chosen look to draw the hero. No photos, no ads, no trackers. The account can be deleted from the app.
Who writes the stories?
The Teranga Story team, with a review by people from each culture before publication.
Will there be printed books?
Yes, print on demand is planned after the app launches.
Be among the first families
Leave your email: we’ll tell you on launch day.
One email, at launch. No ads.