The Golden Baobab Prizes, which is aimed at inspiring the creation of enthralling African children’s stories by gifted African writers, has announced the 8 stories that made it to the shortlist out of 180 stories that were submitted for this year’s edition.

The shortlist came out after over 8 weeks of the rigorous Golden Baobab Prizes evaluation process.

Those shortlisted under the Golden Baobab Prize for Picture Books categories stories shortlisted include; ‘The Princess with a Golden Voice by Philip Begho’ (Nigeria), ‘The Little Hippo’ by Liza Esterhuyse (South Africa), ‘Grandma Mimo’s Breakfast’ by Carol Gachiengo (Kenya).

While the Golden Baobab Prize for Early Chapter Books categories are; ‘Seven’ by Sabina Mutangadura (Zimbabwe), ‘Rhino’ by Richard Street (South Africa), ‘What’s going on at 179 Jabulani Street?’ by Karen Hurt (South Africa).

In the Golden Baobab Prize for Rising Writers categories, story by Fego Martins Ahia’s ‘The Little Secret’ (Nigeria) and ‘Pieces of Africa’ by Kanengo Rebecca Diallo (Tanzania) made it.

The Golden Baobab Prizes, now in its fifth year, was set up to find the very best writers of African children’s literature. This year’s shortlist suggests that the judges; Bernardine Evaristo, Esi-Sutherland-Addy, Nonikiwe Mashologu, Zetta Elliott, Annette Hansen and Osayimwense Osa, all have varying ideas about what constitutes good fiction for children.

Chair of judges for the Picture Book Prize, Zetta Elliott, whose first picture book, Bird, won the Honor Award in Lee and Low Books’ New Voices Contest, in her remarks on the shortlist noted that she was impressed with the range and originality of the stories.

She further added that this year's shortlist suggests that there are plenty of emerging authors who take seriously the task of nourishing the imagination of African children, noting that these stories have magic, mystery and important lessons about the value of community and also confirm what is already known about the rich and diverse Africa's literary landscape.

Osayimwense Osa, founding author of the Journal of African Children’s and Youth Literature (JACYL) and a firm believer in the power of literature and one of the judges for 2013 edition on his part stated that literature is one instrument that transforms the world from confusion and violence to peace, stressing that it is wise to get children reading in their formative years.