African history is missing from our literature and our history classes, yet it is a rich, complicated narrative with fascinating twists and turns. Set in the ancient Wagadou Empire of West Africa, this fictional story begins when the Ghana, King, is presented with a problem that threatens the empire and which no one can solve. In Tulukumbou and the Ship of the Desert (pronounced Two-lu-come-boo), children learn that you are never too small to do important things if you are willing to think outside of the box and work hard. The story takes place at a critical point in the history of the region, the opening of the trans-Sahara trade route.