Kunda Kids is a fantastic local black-owned publishing company dedicated to educating children about African history and culture, and I had the pleasure of meeting co-founder Louisa Olafuyi earlier today.
Louisa and her husband Dele have launched a collected of four beautifully illustrated rhyming picture books - called "Africa's Little Kings & Queens" - inspired by some of ancient Africa's most influential leaders. Written by Louisa and Dele, and edited by award-winning children's book editor Krystle Appiah, the series aims to introduce the next generation of young leaders, thinkers and game-changers to Africa's history.
The books are suitable for children between ages 3-8 years and are perfect for little-ones who love to be read to, and children who are also learning to read independently.
I am really grateful to Louisa for talking me through her exciting project, and I was interested to learn that currently only 3 per cent of children's books published in the UK had a BAME main character, and only 1 per cent had a black main character.
I will be exploring with Louisa how we can support and promote the work of Kunda Kids across Sutton, and help to tackle the lack of diversity in children's books. As such, I have raised the matter with Sutton Council's Chief Executive.
You can find out more about Kunda Kids on their website, or on their Instagram page.
