Flowers, Plants and Fascinating Facts is a bilingual illustrated children’s book that teaches readers about different plants, from everyday ones like dandelions to exotic East African plants like the blue waterlily. What inspired you to create this wonderful book?

Recalling the past interview with your platform on my book Alphabet of Flowers as a smaller version of a bilingual children’s project I was working on. Well, the bigger version of that book is this one.

For a long time, I harboured a deep wish to illustrate a book myself. After our son was born, I sketched a lot using wax crayons. Occasionally, I shared some flower sketches on Instagram. A fellow writer and educator in Tanzania suggested writing a book using those sketches. Because I love botany, I tested the waters by publishing Alphabet of Flowers. The success of that book encouraged me to embark on a more significant project, which resulted in the publication of Flowers, Plants and Fascinating Facts.

What ideas were important for you to share in this book?

I recognised the need to write a book that considers the natural environment of my home country, Tanzania. I wanted the book to carry familiarity when read by an African child. Besides the colourful drawings I did, I sought knowledge from a botanist and vegetation expert from Tanzania who guided me on endemic species, and I have acknowledged him in the book.

Tanzania’s official languages are Kiswahili and English. Most plants are known globally in English or by their scientific name, even those native to East Africa. Some plants lacked Kiswahili names and we maintained the names in local dialects. For those that we could not identify in either Kiswahili or the local dialect, we resorted to the process of “kutohoa,” which is pronouncing foreign words in the national language of Kiswahili. For example, Hydrangea became Mhaidangea. As I write this, my application to the National Kiswahili Council (BAKITA) to certify the Kiswahili language used in the book is approved.

How did you decide what plants and flowers to include in your book? 

Initially, I listed random flowers I knew from Tanzania and abroad. Later, I added trees and even vegetables to create an array of flowers. The decision of what to include was as mentioned above, i.e., I wished to feature more flowers and plants endemic to Tanzania. However, I also grasped the importance of including some non-endemic types to enhance readers’ exposure and spark more curiosity in the subject.

What is the next book that you are working on and when will it be available?

I have a few prose and poetry manuscripts, and I work on them simultaneously. Besides that, I am also co-authoring two projects with other writers.

I may complete a manuscript but that does not mean it will be the one to be published soon. The decision of what to publish next is determined by readiness on my end based on factors such as publishing timeline, budget, and developments related to the subject.

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