Wild Magic Legend of the Black Lion by Abiola Bello
Abiola Bello shares some insightful information about Ethiopia, the country which features in the first book in her new series, Wild Magic!
My first venture into younger fiction I wanted to write something fun and educational but also magical that had Black children at the centre of it. I wanted a book that showcased animals and how amazing they are. There was this picture that went viral of a black lion. It was jet black and beautiful. Everyone was freaking out – a black lion? It took some months for it to come out that it was actually photoshopped but apart of me still wondered if there was any black lions. When I researched it, I found out that black lions do exist in Ethiopia.
Ethiopia is in East Africa. As I was researching the black lion I realised I had never read a book based in that country. Usually books in Africa are based in Nigeria and Ghana but Ethiopia is Africa’s second most populated nation. I am Nigerian and of course I want to always highlight my heritage, hence why my characters Misha, Ziggy and Dayo are from there but to really explore the black lion, I had to use Ethiopia as my backdrop. I was excited to highlight a country that isn’t celebrated enough in literature.
I’ll be honest, I didn’t know much about Ethiopia and I had to do lots of research. Misha and Ziggy also don’t know anything so the readers will learn with them. They find out more about Ethiopia from their dad, their babysitter Hanna, and even from the animals like Jember, the black lion and the gelada monkeys.
It truly is an amazing country full of rich culture and animals. They have everything from leopards to zebras to elephants. There’s so much protection for animals in Ethiopia. Lots of national parks that anyone can go into to see the animals where they are safe and secure from poachers. The most popular is Simien Mountains National Park. It’s the largest park in Ethiopia and they look after lots of endangered species. It’s great because the animals are in more open spaces surrounded by their natural habitat unlike in the zoos that we’re used too.
One of the best things I learned about Ethiopia is that they have a different calendar to the rest of the world. They are eight years behind us. Technically if you flew there, you’re going back to the past! That just blows my mind. Misha and Ziggy were very impressed too. This is because Ethiopia calculate the year of Jesus Christ different to the rest of the world.
Ethiopia has the largest open-air market in all of Africa. It’s called the Mercato Market where Misha and Ziggy visit. Known for its spices, food, technology, jewellery – something for everyone! It’s a very popular tourist spot.
Another thing about Ethiopia which I wanted to highlight in Wild Magic is there is a significant poaching issue. Lions are targeted for their bones, teeth, claws and skin for medicine and illegal wildlife trade. Elephants are targeted due to their ivory tusks, which can be used for jewellery and medicine. Birds and reptiles are caught and sold as exotic pets. Poaching is one of the reasons why animals are facing extinction but Ethiopia are working hard to stop the poachers by arresting them. This is why these National Parks exist to keep animals safe.
I’m so proud that I get to showcase this amazing country through Wild Magic and I hope lots of young readers get to learn so much about what we can do to protect animals.
WILD MAGIC: LEGEND OF THE BLACK LION by Abiola Bello, illustrated by Emma McCann out now in paperback, for 6+ year olds (Simon & Schuster)
