Market Day: An Ethiopian Early Reader in English and Portuguese

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The vibrant beauty and exotic flavors of Ethiopia are on full display in its markets, which include the largest market in Africa. Like the sprawling Mercato in Addis Ababa, Ethiopian markets are more than just places to these thriving hubs of commerce are also where Ethiopians go to visit with old friends, to play, to eat and to sell products from their gardens, orchards and farms. Children love the sights and sounds of the busy caravans piled high with fruits, vegetables, textiles and grains. Markets in Ethiopia are important cultural events and vital to the thriving trade routes that bring everything from coffee to camels to families in Africa and beyond. Colorful watercolor illustrations bring the market to life in rich detail and dual language text in English and Portuguese supports emerging readers and students of indigenous Ethiopian languages.

Open Hearts Big Dreams Ready Set Go Books were created to help increase 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 OHBD-RSG books to kids in Ethiopia, Africa’s second most populous country. Ethiopia’s population has a high percentage of children ages 0-14. Only a small percentage attend pre-school or kindergarten, and the adult literacy rate is around 50%.

Some of 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. Other books are based on STEAM topics, cooking, colors, counting and more.

Since late 2017, OHBD has published over 150 unique OHBD-RSG bilingual titles in a number of Ethiopian, African and global languages plus English and has plans to publish more titles and add more languages. New titles or languages are added monthly; follow our author page to get new release announcements. Open Hearts Big Dreams Fund is a 501 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 Literacy, Innovation, Inclusion and Leadership Projects in collaboration with individuals and organizations in Ethiopia and globally.