Author Description

Thank You Trees, written by author Caroline Kurtz, is a heartfelt appreciation of trees and their importance in Ethiopian culture. From mango and coffee trees to trees grown for wood or shade, trees are a vital part of the Ethiopian environment. While deforestation and climate change pose significant threats to the health and survival of African trees, countries like Ethiopia organize mass tree-planting programs. This beautiful tribute to trees is colorfully illustrated by young students and printed in English and Amharic to support bilingual readers. Vibrant paper collage and rich water colors show indigenous Ethiopian trees and plants while simple, bilingual text describes the diverse roles that trees play in everyday Ethiopian life. Ready Set Go Books, an Open Hearts Big Dreams Project, is focused on increasing the literacy rate in Ethiopia through giving readers books with stories in their heart languages, full of colorful illustrations with Ethiopian settings and details. Profits from book sales are used to create, print, and distribute more Ready Set Go Books to kids in Ethiopia, Africa's second most populous country. Ethiopia's population is 44% children, ages 0-14 (43 million out of 97 million total). Only 5.5% of children attend pre-school or kindergarten, and the adult literacy rate is 49%. Our books are based on wise Ethiopian sayings that often rhyme in Amharic. If an adult says the first half, many children can chant the second half. Sometimes the meaning of these sayings is clear. Sometimes it has to be puzzled out and argued over. But sayings and idioms and proverbs help people express truths and beliefs in unusual ways. Since late 2017, OHBD has published over 100 unique #ReadySetGo dual language titles in three Ethiopian languages plus English and has plans to publish another 100 titles and add more languages in the coming years. New titles and/or languages are added monthly; follow our author page to get new release announcements. Open Hearts Big D