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When Gladys had her first son, she looked and looked . . . and looked for stories and pictures to share her African heritage with him. After a while, she resorted to writing short stories for him—in French. As an art and culture enthusiast, she then complemented the stories with illustrations so her son could see Africa through her lenses—the Africa she grew up in.
Gladys grew up in Cameroon and then moved to the US for her college education. Gladys holds a BS in computer science from BYU and an MBA from Seattle University. In her professional career, Gladys spent a decade at Microsoft as an engineer and then as a marketing professional. Gladys' passion for social enterprise prompted her to then open a design studio in Cameroon. Her stories are fully illustrated by local artists; this is an opportunity to promote authentic art, illustrate more of her many stories, and create local jobs.
Though she'll forever be an African Queen, Gladys now lives in Seattle, WA, with her husband and two sons. When she is not designing or writing books, Gladys is creating food in her kitchen, dancing to the beat of drums, or singing.
Reviewed by Mamta Madhavan for Readers' Favorite
Tuma’s Boot by Gladys T. Kenfack opens with Tuma and his mother going to the river to play. Tuma takes off his boots and sets them down near the riverbank. The wind blows his boot into the water and it floats away. He is very sad, but his mother consoles him by saying there will be a lot of creatures who will be able to play with his boot. Tuma is curious to learn more about the creatures and his mother explains to him how the boot can work as a wading pool for a duck, and the many other ways it can be of help to various creatures. How can it help a heron, an otter, a frog, a butterfly, or a turtle? Tuma is happy as he walks back home with his mother.
The story is fun, educational, and informative and readers learn the many ways a boot can be used by creatures in the water and around the river. The illustrations are vivid and bright and they give clarity to the author’s words and bring the scenes to life. The fun and useful things that can be done with a boot are interesting to note. It is an adorable storybook for parents and grandparents to read out to their children and grandchildren at story time. The book is also good for read aloud and story-telling sessions in classrooms and school libraries. Children not only get introduced to new creatures, but also realize how things can be used in multiple ways by different creatures/people.
