Every child deserves heroes who look like them. Yet many African children grow up reading only stories from elsewhere. Here are African children’s books and comics from the ISOLELE Universe, made in the Congo for young readers everywhere.
The Guardians of Kongo
The Guardians of Kongo: Okapi & Opa, The Sacred Bottle of Time of Ota Benga is ISOLELE’s adventure for young readers. Okapi Nkosi, a young okapi of the Ituri forest, discovers he can see the Bottle of Time, where the soul of Ota Benga waits. With Princess Opa from the future, Prince Likaku of the Great Apes, Coco Rico the bravest rooster and Amarulaa the Elephant Elder, he sets out to protect memory itself.
Why the okapi?
The okapi lives only in the rainforests of the Democratic Republic of Congo, and it is the country’s national animal. For a long time, the outside world thought it was a myth. That makes it the perfect hero for African children: often overlooked, yet carrying a great destiny.
Real history, told gently
Ota Benga was a real man, a Mbuti from the Congo who was taken to America in 1904. The Guardians of Kongo tells his story in a way children can understand: not to frighten them, but to teach them that memory matters and that no stolen child should be forgotten.
Heroes for girls
Queen Beeza Wingara, the Golden Hive Queen, is the Mother of the Little Queens, teaching girls that every one of them carries wings of destiny. Her motto for children: Little queens, spread your wings!
Bana ya ISOLELE, the reading program
Bana ya ISOLELE, Children of ISOLELE in Lingala, is a children’s literacy and arts program in the Congo, with sessions in Kinshasa and Goma. Children receive books, meet heroes who look like them and learn to tell their own stories.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are there African comic books for kids?
Yes. ISOLELE publishes The Guardians of Kongo for young readers, with African animal heroes from the Congo forest.
What is Bana ya ISOLELE?
A children’s literacy and arts program run by ISOLELE in the Congo, with sessions in Kinshasa and Goma.
Is the story of Ota Benga suitable for children?
The Guardians of Kongo tells it gently, focusing on memory and courage, for young readers.
Discover the books
