Simai Creations, a new children’s book brand founded by Lillian Myezwa, has launched a collection of Shona and Shona-English storybooks designed to support early language development while strengthening cultural identity among young children.

The idea for Simai Creations was born from Myezwa’s personal search for simple, age-appropriate Shona learning materials for her own children. Finding few resources that were both culturally relevant and suitable for early learners, she created a brand focused on making Shona accessible, engaging and enjoyable for young readers.

The debut collection features a mix of Shona-only titles, aimed at encouraging natural language immersion, and bilingual Shona-English books to support parents and caregivers who may not be fluent in the language. The stories centre on familiar, everyday themes such as family, play, animals and the human body, using repetition, clear illustrations and relatable scenarios to help children connect language with daily life.

“Language is often the first connection children have to culture and identity,” Myezwa said. “By introducing Shona early, in a way that feels natural and enjoyable, we are helping children build confidence in who they are and where they come from.”

Targeting families in Zimbabwe and across the diaspora, Simai Creations aims to support households navigating multilingual environments where English often dominates. By placing African languages at the centre of early childhood learning, the brand hopes to contribute to the preservation and everyday use of Shona.

Simai Creations plans to expand its range with additional books and learning resources as it grows, continuing its mission to nurture a new generation of children who connect with their heritage through storytelling. We hope these can and will be dubbed and adopted into other languages spoken in Zimbabwe.

You can order the books on Simai Creations website.