Author Description

Fire and Ashes, A Boy and an African Proverb, the debut story in a series of children's picture books, brings the relevance of African proverbs to our modern world. Warfa, a Somalian refugee, struggles to adapt to his new elementary school. Haunted by distressing memories, he turns to his grandmother and her sage African proverb: Ninna dab buu ka baqaa, ninna dambaas buu ka baqaa.One man fears fire; another man fears ashes. The picture book is story, lesson, guide, and inspiration to all children, but especially to those dealing with trauma. This and future wisdom-rich African proverb stories are intended to expand the narrative of nonfiction inclusion in social emotional learning (SEL) curricula.