At Kunku, our first stories weren’t about kingdoms, or spaceships, or magical spells.
Our very first was about a monkey and a turtle.
And that wasn’t by accident.
We chose animals, like Duku the curious monkey and Turtle the patient thinker, because for generations, that’s how our people told stories. In African tradition, animal stories have always been more than just creatures; they’re mirrors of human behavior, values, and emotion.
Before children could read books or watch cartoons, they listened.
- To the fireside tales.
- To the elders.
- To the fox who tricked the lion.
- To the tortoise who outsmarted the whole village.
These weren’t just fables; they were coded wisdom.
So when we started developing stories through Kunku, it felt only right to return to that timeless formula:
- Let the monkey teach us about impulse and joy.
- Let the turtle teach us about wisdom and resilience.
- Let the children explore those traits in safe, playful ways, so they can better understand themselves.
In a world full of fast content and short attention spans, we’re slowing things down and going deeper. We’re telling stories that mean something.
And we’re building them with kids, not just for kids, because they already understand the language of imagination.
So yes, we started with animals.
Because that’s where the real stories often begin.
If you haven’t read it yet, “Duku and Turtle” is available for free on the Kunku App (Google Play and iTunes). You can also watch it come to life on screen via YouTube:
