ICS Amharic Teacher Fasika Adefris and former ICS Elementary Teacher Sara Holly Ackerman have just won the prestigious Children’s Africana Book Award for Best Picture Book in 2025! The book is called “The Gabi that Girma Wore”.
The project began when Sara (now based in New York), reached out to Fasika with the idea of writing a story modeled on “The House That Jack Built”, but rooted in Ethiopia’s rich textile tradition. Despite being continents apart, the two worked tirelessly through Zoom meetings, research, interviews, and shared videos. Fasika gathered insights from local weavers and elders, while Sara brought her editorial background. Their collaboration, paired with beautiful illustrations by Ethiopian-American artist Netsanet Tesfaye, brought the story to life.
Fasika and Sara had first met teaching side-by-side at ICS in the same classroom. Fasika guided Kindergarten students through a hands-on Gabi project, while Sara encouraged storytelling and literacy. Their shared experiences at ICS grew into broader initiatives: collaborating on volunteer projects to distribute books across Ethiopia, co-authoring bilingual children’s stories, and promoting literacy in multiple languages.
The story of “The Gabi that Girma Wore” highlights the deep connection between the Gabi and the people who make and wear it. It shows how a simple cotton seed becomes something cherished, cozy, and culturally meaningful. Since its release, the book has been read at schools and libraries in the USA reaching both Ethiopian diaspora and international audiences. It has recently gained global attention, with the Scholastic Educational Group ordering 3,000 copies for schools.
Most notably, the Children’s Africana Book Awards Committee awarded it as the 2025 Best Picture Book. Fasika will accept the honor this November at Howard University in Washington, D.C.
Source: www.icsaddis.org/connect/news-stories/ics-news/