03 Apr 2024

Gaegalalwe Lovy’s recently published puzzle book titled Puo Letlotlo,  seeks to make learning Setswana enjoyable and fun for children.

The 33-year-old Motswana author’s offering is packed with short stories, puzzles and crosswords which make the book an alluring and engaging educational resource for its target readership.

In an interview yesterday Lovy, who holds a degree in journalism from Limkokwing University, said Puo Letlotlo provideed a comprehensive learning experience for young readers especially as it prides itself in the use of rich Setswana words which form part of day-to-day conversations.

Sharing the inspiration behind penning the book, she said curiosity of many about her own Setswana name, which many perceived as complex sparked her decision to devise the means to help young readers explore the Setswana language.

Passionate about the rich Setswana language, Lovy found deciding to write the book an easy task to follow through with given how close to her heart the language is.

She says through the book, she uncovered the meaning behind many Setswana names and words and promoted the use of the language at home among children.

As such, her book incorporates commonly used Setswana names encountered in daily life, whether at school, home or at the workplace.

Lovy emphasises the importance of fully embracing one’s language, instead of shunning or overlooking it in preference of attaining fluency in other languages such as English, something that is prevalent in today’s generation of children.

“Sometimes you would hear a parent indicating that their children do not understand Setswana and this book will help address such challenges,” she said.

With the aim to make learning Setswana enjoyable, Lovy designed the book to include puzzles and word searches, ensuring that children remain engaged throughout the process.

“I wrote it as a form of edutainment, ensuring that children are intrigued by learning Setswana stylishly, without feeling bored,” she said.

In addition to puzzles, she said, the book featured short stories centred on the Setswana lifestyle, particularly those set in cattle posts or farms, offering insight to children unfamiliar with such environments.

She says the journey of creating the book spanned two years, a period which covered the rigorous research that she undertook, the writing and editing of the manuscript, and lastly its printing and publishing.

However because she was doing what she was passionate about, she said the actual writing of the book took her just six months to complete.

Puo Letlotlo was published in Botswana by Poetic Blood Publishers and is currently available for pre-order at P183. ENDS