This season, the Basketball Africa League (BAL) is bringing more than just game-day excitement. Together with the BAL, we’re turning the spotlight on literacy, inclusion, and storytelling by launching a magical new book that combines the power of sport with the magic of reading.
Stories have the power to transform lives especially when they reflect children’s own cultures, languages, and dreams. That’s why we teamed up with the BAL to launch The Big and Magical Basketball Games, a vibrant new children’s book that celebrates African pride, basketball, and the boundless imagination of young readers.
A Collaboration Rooted in Empowerment
The partnership between NABU and BAL was born from a shared belief in the power of storytelling and education. Together, we created The Big and Magical Basketball Games, a story that connects young readers to the spirit of teamwork, perseverance, and Pan-African pride.
This collaboration supports both organizations' commitment to literacy development, education access, and youth empowerment across Africa. With translations in English, French, Wolof, Kinyarwanda, and isiZulu, the book is accessible to children in the languages they speak at home, furthering NABU’s mission of inclusive literacy.
Introducing: The Big and Magical Basketball Games
Meet Mwangi, also known as “Magic,” an 11-year-old dreamer at BAL training camp. When a magical BAL Cup goes missing, Magic and his teammates Moktar from Morocco, Siratou from Senegal, Rukundo from Rwanda, and Anele from South Africa, join forces with BAL’s mascot Leo to retrieve it.
Their journey takes them across the continent, facing basketball challenges with mythical creatures in Morocco, Senegal, and Rwanda. It’s a tale of courage, friendship, and finding your strength on and off the court.
📖 Read the story now on the NABU Web Reader at read.nabu.org 📲 Or download it for free on the NABU App (iOS & Android) 🎬 And stay tuned an animated video version is coming soon to our Read with NABU YouTube channel!
📖 Read the animated version on Pubbly
Multilingual, Inclusive, and Made for Africa
The book is available in English, French, and key African languages including Wolof, Kinyarwanda, and IsiZulu. This ensures that children across the continent can experience the joy of reading in their own language a core value of NABU’s mission.
Every page reflects our shared vision of inclusion, youth empowerment, and African storytelling brought to life through vibrant illustrations, culturally rooted characters, and exciting basketball adventures.
👉 Learn more about it at nabu.org/thebal
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THE IMPACT OF YOUR GIFT
NABU is free for children, families, and teachers, thanks to our generous donors. Your donation can make a big difference:
- $25 monthly subscription for one child: Provide access to the NABU app and hundreds of bilingual books for a child and their family
- $45 monthly subscription for one classroom: Gift NABU to a teacher for use in their classrooms to support student learning
- $1,500 to publish a children's book: Support our professional development initiatives, training local artists to create culturally relevant stories for children in their communities, with translations into 25 languages
- $5,000 to sponsor a country-wide children's radio program:Expand our impact through storytelling radio programs across an entire country