Little kids may struggle with comparing themselves their peers, especially to their siblings, if they have any. They may compete for affection and attention, causing hurt and strife along the way that could’ve been avoided. The story of Zibu & Zizo is one that speaks to that problem.

Refilwe Nsibande, a creative technical expert with over a decade of know-how in the ICT sector and a pre-sales architect for MTN South Africa, is the brain behind Zibu & Zizo. For Refilwe, the importance of getting the book written and geared for pre-school ages was about highlighting the uniqueness of every child, as seen in the apparent differences between the twin brothers Zibu and Zizo in the story.

“I found the inspiration for Zibu & Zizo from a quote I stumbled upon that says, “Comparison is the thief of joy.”  We grow up being compared to our siblings and peers, and as a result have our joy and identity hijacked in the process. I do not have a twin, and I thought this maybe worsened when you have another human that looks exactly like you. The themes explored in the book centre around the importance of recognising, embracing, and celebrating our unique differences.

I used identical twins to highlight each twins’ individuality, as the norm would be to bundle them together and assume that they are the same and like the same things. A reminder for all of us that everyone is unique,” she said.

Authour Refilwe Nsibande | SUPPLIED

According to findings from the Progress in International Reading Literacy Study, 81% of Grade 4 learners struggle with reading for meaning in any language. The root cause for this started in the poor reading culture during a child’s formative years. For Nsibande, the biggest challenge in the writing and completion of Zibu & Zozi wasn’t the process of getting the book done, but rather it was about “simplifying the story and telling it with just a few words.”

On top of the problem of reading, Nsibande stressed the importance of representing black children with her book. According to her, “the positive representation of black people like me is always at the forefront of my writing. I want our black children to see themselves in my books and know that they matter wholly.”

Her work on Zibu & Zizo hasn’t been in vain, with some of her fondest moments being on how many little lives she’s touched and reaffirmed with her book.

“Hearing that 3085 copies of my book are in the hands of children has to be one of my proudest moments and seeing a child’s face light up the very moment they see someone that looks like them in my book,” she said.

SOURCED | INSTAGRAM

With the success of Zibu & Zizo, Nsibande’s already onto her next ventures as a kiddies book author. The first of her next children’s books, titled Nikiwe’s Magical Glass Doors, is due for release this coming November.

“I already have two books that are getting published in November. The first one is Nikiwe’s Magical Glass Doors published under my own new publishing company and Amahle Wants to Help, to be published by the BookDash publishers, who were behind the story of Zibu and Zizo last year. I cannot wait to share them with the world. A poetry anthology is also in the pipeline and a lot more to keep my young readers reading in years to come,” she said.

Connect with Refilwe:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/refilwe_nsibande/