Second book of Ubuntopia series published

Balla and the Secret Source is the second book in a series published by Ubuntopia, a brand of NABC member GreenDreamCompany. Ubuntopia conservesold (oral) African legends and wisdom through books, theatre shows, animations, films, games and more. This skillfully designed book focuses on Balla the Griot, an old African storyteller. In the book, Balla and his friends set out on a journey to save an African village. They learn more about ancient African legends, the African continent and the Ubuntu Philosophy during their mission. The two legends which Balla shares in this book are: ‘The Unicorn of the Blue Nile’ from Ethiopia and; ‘The Golden Stool of the Ashanti’ from Ghana. Each book in the series features legends from a different set of countries. Balla and the Secret Source is a hybrid book. While the legends are depicted in gorgeously drawn comics, Balla and his friends’ adventures are skillfully narrated in a recurring storyline based on the first book, Balla and the Forest of Legends. The graphic novella also has a Wikitopia section with background information and a humorous story about Anansi the Spider.

The author is former NABC board member Leontine van Hooft. Besides books for 8+, she also published several management books on the topic of Ubuntu Philosophy.

Rwandan-born Jean-Claude Ngumire made the beautiful illustrations, the English translator is Kenyan-born, and the cultural advisers come from Ethiopia and Ghana.

Under the series known as ‘The Chronicles of Ubuntopia’, GreenDreamCompany expects to publish a total of 12 books. Eventually, the Ubuntopia brand are meant to grow to feature real-life experiences in theme parks. The Ubuntopia books, for the young and old, in both Dutch and English, are available in all major bookshops, including Bol.com and Amazon and on the Ubuntopia webshop www.ubuntopia.shop. You can also learn more about the brand via their website www.ubuntopia.world, and their social media pages.