Every folktale starts around a fire, a cup of coffee, or a lap.
Mizan Kids began with a simple ache: bedtime stories in Amharic were disappearing from bookshelves outside Ethiopia. So we built the books we wished we'd had — bilingual, beautifully illustrated, and unmistakably ours.
Mizan means balance — that's the whole idea
We name our studio after the concept of balance because that's exactly what bilingual childhood needs: two languages, two cultures, held with equal care on the very same page. No language is the "translation" here — Amharic and English are both the story.
Preserve
We work with Ethiopian elders, teachers, and storytellers to retell folktales faithfully, not flatten them.
Include
Diaspora families, adoptive families, language-learning classrooms — every home should have a seat at this story.
Delight
Above all, our books have to be fun. Kids don't finish books out of duty — they finish them because they're grinning.
How a Mizan Kids book comes to life
1. We collect the tale
Our writers work with Ethiopian storytellers and community elders to source folktales in their original spoken form, keeping the humor and rhythm intact.
2. We write it twice, together
Our Amharic and English writers draft side by side, line by line — so neither language feels like an afterthought or a translation.
3. We illustrate by hand
Every character is sketched and painted by hand in warm gouache and colored pencil, then digitized for print and digital editions alike.
4. We test with real kids
Before any book goes to print, we read it aloud to children ages 3–8 in both languages and watch closely for the giggles.
Small team, big love for these stories
Writers & Translators
Two bilingual writers who grew up on these very tales, translating not just words but tone, jokes, and rhythm.
Illustrators
A small studio of hand-drawing artists devoted to warm, expressive characters kids want to hug.
Production & Shipping
A tiny but mighty ops team making sure your bundle arrives safely, wherever in the world you're reading tonight.