Genèse
Who are we?
We come from the Democratic Republic of the Congo and we live in Switzerland. We are the
parents of three children who love bedtime stories. One evening, our eldest daughter asked why there are no dark skinned characters in her favourite books. Her question made us realise how the representation of black characters can play a decisive role in books for young people.
Studies based on youth literature show that young readers identify with the main characters of a book. Books can enlarge the reader’s perception of the world, at the same as enriching the reader’s shared understanding of difference and diversity
In our search we had no success in finding children’ books depicting black
characters as heroes; this is why we decided to write them for ourselves. Our books tell life
stories based on a mix of cultures, with plots inspired by the ordinary events in
a child’s life. Rooted as they are in the life and experiences of all young readers, our books for
young people are based on what unites us rather than what divides us.