A trio of endemic Gelada baboons rest in the sunshine. They are nicknamed “bleeding heart monkeys” or “lion monkeys” after their unique red chest and mane. They are only found on the Semien Mountains in Northern Ethiopia, 13,000 feet above sea level.
Come Along on an Enchanted Journey to Ethiopia A local author’s children’s book bridges cultures and learning. By WANDA PERKINS
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“My book is dedicated to the children of Ethiopia who blossom when given an opportunity to read books, learn in schools and visit libraries.” ~ Betty Gronneberg
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elicans in flight. A volcanic lava lake. Baboons resting in the sunlight. The magnificent Blue Nile Falls. Is it possible to use your imagination to visit picturesque Ethiopia? Bethlehem “Betty” Abera Gronneberg, author of The Alphabet Takes a Journey: Destination Ethiopia, believes, “Yes, absolutely!” Gronneberg remembers walking two miles to school each day as a young girl in the capital city of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. “Books opened my eyes to the world. I loved reading and was intrigued by how stories talked to me and enlightened me,” Gronneberg recalls. “Although books were scarce, I read everything I could get my hands on, and oftentimes, it was the Bible.” Inspired by storytelling, Gronneberg grew up listening to generational stories told by family and elders because written literature was scarce. “Children sat in circles watching a passionate storyteller do his magic. With words smartly conjured together, the stories transported you to imaginative lands-funny and wise stories and mythical stories about animals,” she remembers. So when our family’s journey to the biblically ancient and INSPIRED HOME | 61