Loeloe presents build a book

The motivated Yolanda Nel has started an initiative where parents can customise their children’s books.
Mariselle Stofberg
Mariselle Stofberg





If you've always wanted to be the hero in your very own book, then Loeloe Books offers the ideal opportunity.

Started by the mother of two Yolanda Nel, Loeloe Books offers a unique approach to reading for children.

“The books are 100% customisable and give buyers not only the opportunity to choose the names of the characters but also choose from a variety of characters. The aim of the book is to create a love for reading early on. And what better way to do it than to have mom or dad read you a story that is all about you,” Nel said.

Currently, the books available are a ballerina book for girls and an infant book for both girls and boys.

The infant book is available in English and Afrikaans and a German version will be available soon. Currently, the ballerina book is only available in Afrikaans.

“Everything these days is personalised and the shelf life of a book is just so much longer. My dream is definitely to get parents to read to their children. I believe it not only helps build a vocabulary but it also helps them be able to develop their imagination,” Nel added.

The infant book is Nel’s latest project. “The idea was to create something that is ideal for bedtime and the illustrations are very neutral and not too bold. There's only one picture per page and it’s not overly illustrated.”

The ideas and story lines for Nel’s books are inspired by her two boys. “Having a 2-year-old and almost 1-year-old is great for content creation at the moment.”

She believes that reading offers a great opportunity for building vocabulary. “At infancy, it gives them the opportunity to point and look at pictures and words. Parents have the opportunity to repeat words and tell them what it is they are pointing at. This makes a great gift, because it places your child as the main character. We were all pretending we are the princess or prince in the books that were read to us. Now Princess Mariselle and Princess Yolanda become real. I believe this is where developing their imagination begins,” Nel adds.

Even though she is a mom of two boys, Nel has created a book for girls, but hopes to have books for boys ready in no time.

I” love holding a book and because my boys are still young, I will always choose printed before digital. But I also know our world is changing and I will be looking into having a digital approach too. For order forms or more information, contact Loeloe books by sending an email to landa.nel@gmail.com,” Nel says.