Ghanaian author Benjamin Sam will be touring around Australia, starting in Victoria, with his newly released children’s book, The Tortoise and Birds’ Tree Party.

Mr Sam’s previous book, The Hawk and the Hen Sansankroma, was a retelling of an old African folk tale, but this latest book is his own story, inspired by his childhood.

“It's a warm and joyful picture book set in a lovely African village...full of fun, friendship and a gentle message about kindness and inclusion,” Mr Sam, who is also known as Ras Ato, said.

“The whole story is about understanding and respecting people from different backgrounds, regardless of their culture or their race or wherever they come from.”

Mr Sam said it was important for him to spread his culture and where he comes from in his stories.

“I try to bring my background into it because I was born in Ghana, West Africa, but I’m an Australian citizen, so I don’t want to forget where I come from,” he said.

“I'm very passionate about sharing my culture, enlightening people and putting smiles on people's faces.”

Mr Sam said his very favourite pet growing up was a tortoise, and those childhood memories inspired the story of The Tortoise and Birds’ Tree Party.

“I used to love the tortoise and would let him walk and move around the backyard ... often I’d say to myself, ‘God, I wish this tortoise could talk,’ Mr Sam said.

“Oh, I wish I could just take this tortoise out, I wish you could walk it like a dog, I wish he could climb on things.

“One time the tortoise got his head out and tried to sort of turn it around, almost looking into the sky, and I just said to myself, ‘Oh, I wonder how it would be if this tortoise could fly.”

Mr Sam had a dream about this childhood memory, and in his dream he wrote a book about it.

“The name literally came to my head, The Tortoise and Birds’ Tree Party, and so I got up, it might have been 4am, and started writing,” he said.

Mr Sam said it took him 90 days to write the story with consistent hard work.

“Sometimes I didn't even sleep, I'm on the computer, and then I have to get up the next day and go to work.”

Mr Sam will be touring around Australia with his new book, starting in Victoria in March and ending up in Tasmania in June.

“I’m really excited, I’m really looking forward to doing autographs and engaging with people, sharing the story, the whole background, how the story came out and what it’s all about,” he said.

Paperback copies will be available for purchase during his tour and are already available online at Amazon.

“I’ll have a suitcase full of books, only one or two T-shirts, all the rest are books,” Mr Sam said, laughing.

He will be visiting various libraries and schools around the region:

Thursday, March 26:

8.30am Yarrawonga Library

2pm Tatura Library

Friday, March 27:

9.30am Avenel school

11am Nagambie Library

2pm Euroa Library

Benjamin Sam has two other children's books coming out at the end of the month titled Let’s go to Africa and Simon’s birthday zoo adventure.

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