The Great Rift Valley Lakes: The Wildlife of Ethiopia in Somali and English

PUBLISHER: Independently Published 03/28/2021

Home to over 300 kinds of birds, the Rift Valley in Ethiopia is home to a vibrant and diverse ecosystem, including Nechisar National Park. The lakes formed by the Rift Valley attract rare and endangered wildlife and support the people who raise livestock along the lake shores. Beautiful watercolor illustrations by art students at Clark College bring the birds and animals of the Rift Valley to life. Side by side text in English and indigenous Ethiopian languages like Amharic, Tigrinya, Somali and Afaan Oromo support fluency and help build vocabulary. Part of the Ready, Set, Go! series of bilingual early readers by Open Hearts Big Dreams, a nonprofit devoted to increasing literacy in Ethiopia and beyond. Ready Set Go Books, an Open Hearts Big Dreams Project, is focused on increasing 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 Ready Set Go Books to kids in Ethiopia, Africa’s second most populous country.