The first person to make me a print dress was my grandmother Ramatu better known as Mummy K. She only had a sixth-grade education, but she was a talented seamstress and fashion designer. Mummy K is the inspiration behind my latest children's book, A Print for Ami. 

Mummy owned Karams, a tailoring shop on Henry Street in Freetown, throughout my childhood. Every day after school, I would end my day at Karams. I helped thread the needle, sweep the shop, and ran wild between the shop and the beauty salon next door. 

Like most Sierra Leonean kids; birthdays, Christmas, and Eid meant new clothes. I loved standing on the stool to get my measurement taken and later watching the dress go from numbers in a book to real life. 

My grandmother made me dresses up until she passed away in 2011. I am blessed to have still several of the pieces she made in her last years. 

Since her passing, I've had the opportunity to work in Ghana's textile and fashion industry thanks to a 5-year contract with Printex, an African print textile mill. I've met designers and seamstresses with the same shop set up as my grandmother's in Freetown. My new book, A print for Ami is a celebration of all of the fashion creatives who make us feel and look our best.

Now About A Print for Ami

Ami is finally getting a print dress. Her print will be tailor-made by Sisi Bisi, Freetown's finest seamstress and fashion designer. Join Ami and her mother Titi as they visit Sisi Bisi at Kabaslot Designs.  

A Print for Ami is part of an early reader series that celebrates African culture while helping children ages 3-6 learn phonics. Each page has simple short vowel sounds to help children learn to read with ease and confidence. Practice short vowel sound "i" with A Print for Ami.

The 24-pager is a colorful picture book showcasing original prints used to make kotoku and kabaslot–––the traditional costume of Sierra Leone's Krios. While researching this book, I learned that kabaslot and kotoku are akan words for Ghana that mean dress and sack. Many of the Maroons who were enslaved in Jamaica came from Ghana and we all know that Freetown's Krio settlers who came from the New World included the Maroons. It was a fascinating discovery for me to be able to connect my Krio culture back to Ghana. 

The book also includes a map of Sierra Leone, Krio translations, and a word guide to help parents practice short vowel /i/ words in the book.

A print for Ami paperback is available from Barnes & Noble (Pre-Order Now). When you preorder, it lets bookstores know that there is interest in the book, increasing the chances of getting the book across the UK, US, Canada, Europe, Australia, and beyond. The ebook is available from Amazon.