Transporting youngsters to other countries one bedtime story at a time

Rooted in the divided island of Cyprus, The Book of Cultures was created by two women as a bridge to global acceptance

“Raised on a divided island,” says Evi Triantafyllides, “we were brought up reading narratives, hearing tales, sometimes even writing stories about the ‘good guys’ and the ‘bad guys’. It always felt like there was an ‘us’ and a ‘them’; that classifications, drawn lines and boundaries that were hammered into us from the moment we could speak…”

But this divisiveness, she suggests, isn’t exclusive to Cyprus. “Wherever we live, we miss out on different perspectives because of where we were raised.” And as a world traveller, entrepreneur and author based between New York and Nicosia, Evi knows only too well the “wonderful similarities, striking peculiarities, endless kindnesses and magic in every person across every nation! There are stories out here in the world that all of us, as children, never got to hear. I always thought it would,” she smiles, “be wonderful if we could provide children with such tales, such magical experiences, early on in life…”

Enter The Book of Cultures, written by Evi and gorgeously illustrated by fellow Cypriot Nefeli Malekou. It’s the seventh most-backed children’s book ever to launch from Kickstarter. It’s won a National Parenting Products Award in the US. It’s become a must-have in school libraries around the world. And, since its release, it’s shipped to over 80 countries!

Praised far and wide for its captivating content and clever illustrations, The Book of Cultures also been lauded as an important literary bridge to much-needed cultural acceptance and diversity…

In 2018, the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Education Cooperative Children’s Book Centre conducted a study on English-language children’s books (the majority of those published worldwide) released within the last 12 months. More than 50 per cent were found to feature solely Caucasian characters. The next highest demographic was (believe it or not!) animals, who were the protagonists in roughly 27 per cent of books. Other ethnicities starred in just 23 per cent of the year’s new children’s literature.

“Sadly, diversity in literature,” says Evi, “is still woefully lacking. So our aim with The Book of Cultures was to create a go-to book that allowed young minds to embrace diversity, explore various countries and learn how different people live and think. I’ve always felt it would be lovely to nurture our youngsters’ capacity to embrace all the friends they’ll encounter in life. Wouldn’t that,” she asks, “turn them into the best adult humans yet?”

Armed with a BA in Geography, an MA in Education and Creative Writing, and the bold idea of transporting young readers to other countries one bedtime story at a time, Evi partnered with fellow Cypriot and illustrator Nefeli in a Kickstarter campaign. “The idea,” she explains, “was to raise enough money to publish The Book of Cultures – a storybook that would give children a window into other worlds, other lives, other cultures.”

The Kickstarter campaign launched in spring 2020, aiming to raise $20,000. Within just 36 hours, the total had been reached. By the time the campaign closed a month later, over $150,000 had poured in! And by November that year, The Book of Cultures had been released…

Featuring characters (or ‘buddies’) from different countries, Cultures consists of 30 fictional stories, each lovingly crafted to introduce children to the wonders of our world and encourage them to embrace different perspectives.

“It’s designed to be a first step towards appreciating diversity,” explains Evi. “It’s for parents and guardians who are raising a new generation of accepting, adaptive children who can form a co-operative, global community. And it focuses on universal themes: friendship, family, environment, celebrations and adventures.”

In the pages of this beautifully-illustrated hardback, we learn about Ana from Brazil, whose animal friends help her save the rainforest from development; Zola from South Africa, who paints a rainbow in the sky with her friends; and Manaia from New Zealand, who knows a language without words. There’s a horseback adventure with Egyptian Karim, who discovers where the Nile goes; music with Jamaican Marcia, who sings reggae on the beach; and exploration with Chilean Alejandro, who journeys from the heights of the Andes to Tierra Del Fuego in search of a real, live penguin!

“Each story is written to capture the imagination of little readers, and allow them to experience the world beyond themselves,” says Evi. “We’re bringing characters from all four corners of the globe to life, and helping young readers develop compassion and empathy for other cultures along the way. So we’ve got tales that are both designed to fuel children’s imagination and spark their curiosity, and also teach our little ones to find kindness and magic in unfamiliar eyes.”

Alongside the 30 enchanting stories (each packed with thrilling details from far-off places), we also get a fascinating two-page snapshot of local culture. From fun facts about Tanzania’s great animal migration to kid-friendly recipes from Mexico; unusual Australian slang words to simple yoga exercises from India; an imaginary meal time in Iran to a game of Nigerian ayoayo, there’s plenty for kids to do as well as learn in these 120 pages…

In Peru, we learn to make our own quipu, or secret Inca message. In Japan, we write haikus. In France, we become flâneurs, and find our way through an intricate Parisian maze. In Syria, we help refugee Hiba fill an imaginary suitcase with poignant memories. And, in the final story, we help Evi and Nefeli from Cyprus draw an intricate piece of Lefkara lace.

“Every story, and each of the activities, is a glorious exploration of what makes us different,” says Evi. “And ultimately, what makes us similar. It’s a contribution towards raising a generation that’s more accepting, more open-minded. A generation that, for the first time, is able to look beyond the surface and embrace those who are from a completely different culture.”

The Book of Cultures is available for purchase from all good bookshops, as well as online stores. For more information, visit https://worldwidebuddies.com