Isaro and Juru in the Classroom
I wrote these books because my own children had nothing on the shelf that looked like their family. I am Rwandan, born in Burundi, raised across seven countries, and married to a Ghanaian-Canadian. Isaro and Juru travel to their mother's homeland in Rwanda and their father's in Ghana, and they meet real traditions in both places, not a general idea of Africa.
If you teach children between 3 and 10, everything on this page is yours. The guide is free. Tell me where to send it.
Free Educator Guide
A 12 page printable pack that works with either book, or with both.
- My Family, My Story. A family tree, one family tradition, and one cultural object, outfit or dish that means something at home. This is the sheet that gets the quiet children talking.
- Around the World with Isaro and Juru. Landmark matching between Rwanda and Ghana, map labelling, and a vocabulary challenge on Imishanana and Kente.
- Recipe for Joy. A Ghanaian dish from the story, a small research task, then the child invents their own. Pairs well with a class food day.
- Discussion questions for both books, grouped by family connection, tradition, identity, travel and difference.
- Cultural notes for the teacher, so you can answer what the books raise. What the Gusaba ceremony actually is. Why Ewe day-names are given. What Makola Market is.
- Pronunciation guide for every name and term in both books.
Print it, copy it, adapt it. It is made for a classroom.
Which grades
The books say ages 3 to 10, because that is the range they actually read to. In a school that splits three ways.
| Grade band | How it works |
|---|---|
| PreK to Kindergarten | Straight read-aloud. Use the pronunciation guide so the names sound right, and run the family activity as drawing rather than writing. |
| Grades 1 to 2 | Read-aloud plus discussion. This is the sweet spot, and where the two books work hardest as a text pair. |
| Grades 3 to 5 | Students read independently, then use the books as a research prompt. The cultural notes become the starting point, not the answer. |
Standards: SEL social awareness, perspective-taking and appreciating diversity. Social studies culture, geography and human movement, C3 Framework Dimension 2. And CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.2.9, since the two titles are a ready-made pair: one family, two cultures, compare and contrast.
What is actually in the books
Auntie Zuba's Magical Wedding, Rwanda
Isaro and Juru fly to Kigali for their aunt's wedding, meet a large family they do not remember, wear Imishanana for the first time, and watch the Gusaba ceremony and Amaraba dancing.
Themes: meeting family you do not remember, traditional Rwandan dress, traditional dance, the wedding ceremony and dowry, and the ache of leaving a family you just found.
Vocabulary: Imishanana, Gusaba, Amaraba, Kigali.
Pairs with units on: family, celebration, tradition, journeys.
Isaro and Juru's Big Trip to Accra, Ghana
The siblings visit their father's homeland, walk through Makola Market, receive Ghanaian Ewe day-names at a family party, taste new food, and end the trip on the beach.
Themes: discovering a busy city, Ghanaian food, receiving a traditional Ewe name, Makola Market, and a family reunion across a distance.
Vocabulary: Kente, Makola, Ewe day-names, Accra.
Pairs with units on: community, markets, naming and identity, cities.
Built for circulation
These are board books. In a library or a busy classroom that matters more than it sounds. Paper picture books at this age come back with torn pages after a term. Board pages survive the carpet, the row, and the backpack.
| Auntie Zuba's Magical Wedding | Big Trip to Accra | |
|---|---|---|
| Setting | Kigali, Rwanda | Accra, Ghana |
| Reading age | 3 to 10 | 3 to 10 |
| Format | Board book, matte | Board book, matte |
| Size | 24 x 20 cm | 24 x 20 cm |
| Pages | 12 | 10 |
| ISBN-13 | 9789997799005 | 9789997799012 |
| Read-aloud | About 7 minutes | About 6 minutes |
| Publisher | Imagine We Rwanda | Imagine We Rwanda |
Three ways to start
Free
The Educator Guide
Reflection questions, cultural notes and three activity sheets for both titles. Download it and use it whether or not you ever buy a book.
Most booked
Virtual author visit. $500 USD, or $650 CAD.
Forty five minutes, live with your classes over Zoom or Google Meet. No prep on your side, just a screen and a link. I am running virtual visits only at the moment, which means I can reach your school whatever week suits you.
| 0 to 5 min | Where I am from. Born in Burundi, seven countries since. |
| 5 to 20 min | Live read-aloud of one title |
| 20 to 35 min | Q and A. Students ask about Rwanda, Ghana, and how a book gets made. |
| 35 to 45 min | Guided activity. Each student names one tradition from their own family. |
Booking a visit unlocks the school rate on both titles.
Schools I have worked with: Lycée Français de Chicago, International School of Kigali, Kigali International Community School.
Best value
Classroom sets. 30% off, at 10 copies or more.
| Retail | School rate, 10+ | |
|---|---|---|
| United States | $19.99 USD | $13.99 USD |
| Canada | $21.99 CAD | $15.99 CAD |
Purchase order and invoice, direct from FADI Studio LLC. US orders ship from US inventory within a week. Canadian orders ship from Canadian stock.
How to order
Purchase orders accepted. EIN available on request, alongside the ISBNs and a one-page sell sheet, same day you ask.
Invoiced by FADI Studio LLC, 8 The Green #14965, Dover, DE 19901.
If you want books without a visit and fewer than 10 copies, bulk pricing also runs through Amazon Business: 7% off at 5 or more, 15% off at 10 or more, 25% off at 20 or more.
books@fadi.studio
Popular booking windows
Black History Month in February. International Mother Language Day on 21 February. Read Across America in March. Multicultural and heritage weeks through the year.
Questions teachers ask
What ages are these really for?
Three to ten. The younger end is a read-aloud. The older end reads it alone and then wants to talk about their own family, which is where the activity sheets earn their place.
Do these work if none of my students are African?
Yes, and that is most of the classrooms I visit. The books work as a window as much as a mirror. The family tree sheet turns it back on every child in the room, whatever their background.
Do you do in-person visits?
Not at the moment. Virtual only, which keeps the cost down for you and means I can reach any school in any week.
Can I get a review copy?
Yes, for schools considering a class set. Email me.
Are the books available in French?
Not yet. English only for now.