For Grade 3 students at Landon, the thrill of meeting an author was an exciting surprise. Little did they know, the author was fellow Bear and Middle School History Teacher Isaac Mensah-Yeboah.
“It was pretty cool meeting an author that goes to the school and will one day be my teacher,” said Rafa ’34.
“I think it is really cool that I get to see him around campus sometimes and he has two jobs: an author and a teacher at Landon, and I think that’s amazing,” said Albert ’34.
The teacher-coach-mentor turned author used his passion for world geography to create a magical journey for young readers with “Kofi’s Travels: Exploring Ghana.” The book follows a boy as he explores the West African nation and discovers beautiful landscapes, natural wonders, and historic landmarks.
Mensah-Yeboah said the idea came to him during the 2022 Landon Curriculum and Pedagogy Week.
“We brainstormed ways to make complex ideas more understandable and enjoyable for young students,” he said. “Many concepts in the book are simplified versions of what we discuss in world geography classes, making them more digestible for younger readers.”
The first-time author said “Kofi’s Travels: Exploring Ghana” is the first book in a series focused on enhancing cultural competence, promoting representation in children’s literature, encouraging global citizenship, and fostering cultural appreciation.
“It made me think Ghana is a really cool place and that there’s a lot of stuff to explore,” added Albert.
There are also a few hidden nods to Landon in the book that students have picked up on.
Throughout the process, Mensah-Yeboah sought feedback and previewed different sections with his Form I world geography students. This also inspired an engaging book project during the 2023-24 school year, where students created their own books about a country of their choice.
The Middle School celebrated the book release with a division-wide advisory read-aloud during BEAR (Be Enthusiastic About Reading) time.
As Mensah-Yeboah read his newly published book to Landon’s youngest Bears and tested their world geography knowledge with a few games, the boys were captivated.
“It was kind of preparing us for when we’re in the Middle School learning about geography,” said Landon ’34.
“It’s always great to work across different divisions. I love the opportunity to share my project with younger students and hope it inspires some of them to write or learn more about geography and the larger world,” said Mensah-Yeboah.
“I’m looking forward to the next book,” said Rafa.
