Idia of Benin Kingdom (Nigeria, 1400s)

Idia of the Benin Kingdom is an empowering children's picture book that takes young readers on a beautifully illustrated journey to the 1400s in ancient Africa. 

Your little ones get to watch Idia transform herself from the young and curious daughter of a village warrior to becoming the Queen of the Kingdom of Benin.

With her wisdom, charisma, and prowess much has been written about her bravery. And artifacts in her image are treasured in museums all over the world.

Imhotep of Ancient Kemet (Egypt, 3500 BCE)

Discover the fascinating origin story of Imhotep, one of the most successful, intelligent, and famous men in Ancient Egypt. 

From his genius early life to his rise as an architect and healer to becoming a legend for the ages by designing the Djoser’s step pyramid... Which still stands to date!

A picture book that follows the challenges Imhotep faces and the creative solutions he finds to overcome them. 

Njinga of Ndongo & Matamba (Angola, 1400s)

Njinga is a true story of hope and courage that shows every young girl is capable of greatness. 

Revered for her wisdom, courage, and strength, Njinga of Ndongo & Matamba became a dominant political figure in Angola. 

This richly illustrated picture book tells her story and the obstacles she overcame. From her jealous brother, the loss of her father, and the invasion of the Portuguese. 

Sunjata of The Mandé Empire (Mali, 1190)

This story is an adaptation of an epic poem that has been told by jali poets since the 13th century. 

It tells of a young boy becoming the founder of the Mandé Empire, one of the richest empires in African and Malian history.

Sunjata of the Mandé Empire is a tale of perseverance and resilience. It's a story about a boy who overcame self-doubt and became the greatest leader by listening to the needs of his people.

Audiobooks Narrated By African Story Teller

We understand that children have different learning styles. That's why we've included audiobooks in our bundle.

These professionally narrated recordings bring the stories to life, making the learning experience even more captivating and accessible to auditory learners.

Comprehensive Lesson Plans

Reinforce learning with ease by following Our Ancestories strategic lesson plans designed to maximize learning.

Lesson plans include everything from comprehension tests and language decoding to geography, communication, historical events, and every other tool required for an engaging learning journey!

Digital African History Curriculum

This step-by-step, 40-week curriculum is aimed at taking children on an engaging journey through all of Africa. 

Young learners get to experience how life has evolved through the centuries and how African culture has shaped the world around them.

PLUS every week includes a set of comprehension questions & thrilling activities to reinforce learnings from the previous week. 

This unique story lyrically fills an obvious hole in picture books, animating a powerful figure and showing children that they can achieve their dreams, literal or metaphorical, through perseverance.

School Library Journal

It’s rare to find stories set in ancient Africa, particularly those that are written by #ownvoices authors. (Aire grew up in Benin City.) Both the imaginative, fast-paced text and detailed illustrations will engage children with this 500-year-old history.

Rebekah. G

As a teacher, I found the books to be a fantastic historical narrative. The beautifully detailed illustrations, use of straightforward language (without idioms or multiple-meaning words), and integration of Kimbundu words make Our Ancestories a great resource.

Melanie. B

I am a former teacher (12 years) and I can say that I enjoyed reading this book. It's written in a way that kids can relate to. It shows how even in the most difficult times, one can be creative and find solutions to problems.

Dorothy. E