Andromeda, Princess of Ethiopia: The Legend in The Stars in Amharic and English

by Worku L. Mulat, Ellenore Angelidis, Leyla Angelidis

Since the beginning of humanity, Ethiopia was the origin of some of the most remarkable and important people in history. The bones of one of the first hominids, Lucy, were found in Ethiopia, and stories of legendary Ethiopians stretch back into ancient history. Some of these legends were so famous that they were recorded in ancient Greek Mythology. One of these is the story of the daughter of ancient Ethiopian King Cepheus and Queen Princess Andromeda. Andromeda’s beauty was so renowned that it ignited the jealousy of Poseidon, who sent a great sea monster to devour her. But her plight inspired the Greek hero Perseus to intervene in her rescue, and then to marry her. Their story of love and hardship was immortalized as constellations which are still visible in Ethiopian night skies. Filled with gorgeous illustrations by Ethiopian artist Daniel Getahun and printed in English as well as Ethiopian languages including Amharic, Tigrinya and Afaan Oromo. Side-by-side translations support developing readers in building vocabulary and fluency. 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 Dreams Fund (OHBD) is a 501(3)(c) not for profit organization that believes the chance to dream big dreams should not depend on where in the world you are born. Our mission is to inspire and enable youth in Ethiopia through READY SET GO books, STEM and Innovation Projects in collaboration with individuals and organizations providing literacy, education, and leadership opportunities.

Kindle Edition

Published February 27, 2021

Reviews

[Kim Tyo-Dickerson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was this year old when I discovered that Andromeda was an Ethiopian Princess that had been whitewashed by history.

This engaging picture book by the creative team at Ready, Set Go Books, an Open Hearts Big Dreams Project created by author Jane Kurtz and Creative Director Caroline Kurtz for Ethiopia Reads, brought me this impactful lesson. Written in both English and Amharic, this slim picture book is a treasure trove of representation, providing bite-sized, important historical contexts for Ethiopian connections to Biblical texts and Greek mythology, perfect for sharing with children of all ages in story times and global studies classrooms. Greek Mythology has come to life for the thousands of readers who are fans of Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson books, and this story with illustrations that draw on traditional Ethiopian art, is a perfect foil for the white boy, demigod on a quest narrative. Highly recommended.

[Reb · Rating 5 out of 5]

This made me so happy :)