It’s no secret that babies and young children are able to learn languages at a faster rate than adults, or that the best way to learn a language is by hearing its words. With this in mind, author Roy Wanguhu has created the unique sound book, Count to 10 in Swahili, combining spoken numbers with vibrant visuals, for young children—the most responsive and masterful early language learners. 

Originally from Kenya and currently living with his young family in Oakland, California, Wanguhu’s inspiration for creating his book came from a lack in the market for books that could help him engage his young son in learning Swahili. In his distinctive book, the numbers one through ten are prominently shown both as numerals and words near a sound button and against rich backgrounds depicting various animals in their habitat, each in a group representing that number. The back of the book goes on to present the Swahili word for each animal shown.

Though numbers are a small part of learning a language, this and other early learning concepts are an excellent way for the earliest learners, specifically non-native speakers, to improve listening comprehension and recognizability of words and sounds, making language introduction easy and fun. Furthermore, Wanguhu’s book aligns with more recent shifts in the classroom to promote language proficiency and literacy through a second language, and also through inclusivity and multiculturalism.

Roy Wanguhu is a children’s book author, cinematographer and producer who works on capturing commercials and films. Count to 10 in Swahili is the first installment in a series of books that combine teaching Swahili with other early learning concepts.