A new collection of children’s stories celebrates writing from Botswana. The Peculiar Tree and Other Stories was recently published by The Gaborone Book Festival (GBF). The anthology contains 10 children’s stories by Batswana writers. The collection is edited by South African author Zukiswa Wanner and available to download for free in both English and Setswana. Dr. Naledi Kgolo-Lotshwao, a linguist and senior lecturer at the University of Botswana, translated from English to Setswana, while Onica Lekuntwane designed the cover and illustrations.

The ten stories in this collection are short, captivating reads, perfect for bedtime or shared aloud in a collective story-time setting. The stories cover a range of kid-friendly and inspiring themes. In Olga Wankie Tladi’s “Biggie and Pecky,” themes of friendship and loyalty are explored in the story of a shy woodpecker who saves the life of an elephant from a crocodile. Omphile Sharon Monnana’s “Mama’s Magic Afro” is the story of Aasa, who accidentally breaks her mother’s favorite cup and lies about it, only to discover that her mother’s magical Afro can detect lies—a fun and imaginative way to teach children the importance of honesty.

“Daisy and the Fish Eagle” by Goitseone Raphael and “The Peculiar Tree” by Abigail Mwikisa are touching tales about acceptance and belonging. In Ms. Phontelle’s “Boobaa Shines Her Light,” Boobaa, a lamb, feels nervous about her talent in a show, but she uses her knitting skills to win the audience’s admiration, highlighting the value of self-belief.

Children will love this collection for its easy-to-read, entertaining stories, while parents will appreciate the meaningful lessons in the tales—from standing by others in difficult times and staying calm in disorienting situations, to believing in oneself and finding clever ways to solve problems.

The Peculiar Tree and Other Stories is a well-thought out collection with exciting stories that both children and parents will enjoy. It is also significant that the collection celebrates literature from Botswana. The collection is the result of support from Tsitsi Dangarembga, who, as the International Chair of the University of East Anglia’s Creative Writing Programme, invited the Gabarone Book Festival (GBF) to work on a project. Given their focus on cultivating a love for reading from a young age, GBF issued a call for children’s stories. A cohort of emerging writers was assembled to participate in intensive writing workshops mentored by leading children’s authors from Botswana and across the continent. The Peculiar Tree came out of that initiative.

Gaborone Book Festival Trust is a non-profit organization committed to fostering a love of reading among Batswana of all ages. They have done such brilliant, urgent, and essential work bringing attention to literature from Botswana, in a regional literary landscape dominated by South Africa.The Trust was founded in 2017 by sisters Keikantse and Kenanao Phele, and their primary goal is to promote the work of both local and international authors, particularly those from Africa. In addition to its annual September book festival, GBF organizes a variety of literary programs throughout the year, including a school literacy outreach initiative, the GBF Winter Series, and book clubs.

You can download The Peculiar Tree in both languages as a PDF or EPUB by clicking on the “Children’s Books” tab on the website menu here. Note that it takes a second for the file to load, given all the illustrations.