Counting in Swahili: We All Went on Safari

 

Jambo!  Introduce your kids to Swahili with We All Went on Safari:  A Counting Journey Through Tanzania (Barefoot Books, 2003).  This little treasure of a picture book is written by Laurie Krebs and illustrated by Julia Cairns.  If you have a 3 to 8 year old, this book belongs on your bookshelf.  

I must admit, I’m a bit of a picture book snob.  Unlike some of the poorly written and horrendously rhyming children’s books I am compelled to read over and over and over again,  We All Went on Safari is fun to read out loud–even over and over again.  I have a blast pronouncing the African names weaved throughout Kreb’s rich language and rhythm–names like Mwambe and Arusha.  Oh, and my kids like it, too!

We All Went on Safari is a nice springboard for learning Swahili.  Here are the numbers you and your kids will encounter on safari:

moja – one
mbili – two
tatu – three
nne – four
tano – five
sita – six
saba – seven
nane – eight
tisa – nine
kumi – ten 

Krebs’ picture book also includes a nice reference page about some of the Swahili names of animals from Tanzania.  My little guys have mastered simba (lion), twiga (giraffe), and tembo (elephant.)  Go here on the Mwamba Simba website for more animal vocabulary in Swahili.  I don’t know what it is, but Swahili is just so much fun to say!  Go ahead, try some more:  mamba (crocodile), nyoka (snake), and popo (bat.)  After you read We All Went on Safari, play animal and number vocabulary games, color and label animal pictures, and listen to Swahili songs online.

Kwaheri! (Goodbye!)

Acacia Tree in Tanzania

“We all went on safari, Past an old acacia tree.

Nearby giraffes were grazing, So Tumpe counted three.”

(verse by Laurie Krebs, We All Went on Safari)

Photo Credit: by John Storr http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Image:Acacia_At_Dusk.jpg (public domain)