A bold and bright picture book about being brave when you're scared in a new, overwhelming environment
Esi is a brave Ghanaian girl who is not afraid of anything. Monsters and ghosts should be scared of her!
When she sets off for the annual Kakamotobi Festival with her parents, she’s confident she’ll be fine. Her mother warns that there’s going to be loud music and scary masks and a very big crowd, but Esi’s unconcerned. She's not afraid of anything.
But when they get to the festival and her parents suddenly disappear in a crowd of terrifying monster masks, Esi realizes that to save her parents, she’ll have to be the bravest she’s ever been. With detail-packed illustrations and a text begging to be read aloud, this is the perfect story about finding your inner strength to be brave.
"Sensate rhymes by Mensah, making his children’s debut, offer musicality, while brightly patterned illustrations from Figueroa express big emotions in this tale of courage and culture." —Publishers Weekly
Bernard Mensah grew up in Ghana, climbing trees, playing soccer, and dreaming up stories at the library. Bernard now lives in the United Kingdom with his two rambunctious boys, where he works in software and writes stories. He is passionate about Black and African representation in publishing and founded HabermanNerds to nurture and promote African storytelling. Esi the Brave (Who Was Not Afraid of Anything) is his debut and the first of several children's books.
Raissa Figueroa is the illustrator of several picture books, including Coretta Scott King Honor Award recipient We Wait for the Sun by Katie McCabe & Dovey Roundtree, and the Oona picture book series by Kelly DiPucchio. She lives outside of San Diego.
A bold and bright picture book about being brave when you're scared in a new, overwhelming environment
Esi is a brave Ghanaian girl who is not afraid of anything. Monsters and ghosts should be scared of her!
When she sets off for the annual Kakamotobi Festival with her parents, she’s confident she’ll be fine. Her mother warns that there’s going to be loud music and scary masks and a very big crowd, but Esi’s unconcerned. She's not afraid of anything.
But when they get to the festival and her parents suddenly disappear in a crowd of terrifying monster masks, Esi realizes that to save her parents, she’ll have to be the bravest she’s ever been. With detail-packed illustrations and a text begging to be read aloud, this is the perfect story about finding your inner strength to be brave.
Praise
"Sensate rhymes by Mensah, making his children’s debut, offer musicality, while brightly patterned illustrations from Figueroa express big emotions in this tale of courage and culture." —Publishers Weekly
Author
Bernard Mensah grew up in Ghana, climbing trees, playing soccer, and dreaming up stories at the library. Bernard now lives in the United Kingdom with his two rambunctious boys, where he works in software and writes stories. He is passionate about Black and African representation in publishing and founded HabermanNerds to nurture and promote African storytelling. Esi the Brave (Who Was Not Afraid of Anything) is his debut and the first of several children's books.
Raissa Figueroa is the illustrator of several picture books, including Coretta Scott King Honor Award recipient We Wait for the Sun by Katie McCabe & Dovey Roundtree, and the Oona picture book series by Kelly DiPucchio. She lives outside of San Diego.
