FROM AN ETHIOPIAN VILLAGE TO THE COLORADO ROCKIES — A story, a dream and an invitation to share culture
Sponsored content by Sabe Kemer.
Colorado author, storyteller, entrepreneur, wife, and mother Sabe Kemer invites families to experience Oh To Touch the Sky, a heartfelt children’s picture book inspired by the place where her own story began.
Born and raised in Luuco-Luch’o, a small village in the Ethiopian Highlands, Sabe came to the United States as a teenager. Years later, memories of her childhood became the inspiration for a story about imagination, friendship, courage, and the power of dreaming beyond what we can see.
THE STORY BEHIND THE STORY
Oh To Touch the Sky began with a summer afternoon in Evergreen, Colorado.
Sitting in the living room of her friend and mentor, Dr. Shelley Murphy, with a view of the mountains, Sabe shared stories about growing up in her Ethiopian village. Inspired by those memories, Shelley helped Sabe put the first draft of the story onto paper right there that afternoon.
The story then found another remarkable Colorado connection through Lelli Tenane, who created the illustrations as a 17-year-old student with Downtown Aurora Visual Arts (DAVA), an after-school arts program that gives young people opportunities to develop their creativity and artistic voice.
A story born in an Ethiopian village, written into a book in an Evergreen living room, and brought to life by a young Aurora artist.
MORE THAN A BOOK! A SHARED CULTURAL EXPERIENCE
Available in English and Afaan Oromoo, Oh To Touch the Sky invites children and families to discover Ethiopian culture while celebrating the universal language of imagination.
The story takes readers into the Ethiopian Highlands and encourages children to look beyond what they can see, believe in themselves, and dream boldly—regardless of where they come from.
For Sabe, sharing culture is deeply personal.
“Some of our biggest dreams can begin in the smallest places.”
Her journey reflects that message. A story that began in a small Ethiopian village has traveled across continents and now brings together an author, a mentor, a young Colorado artist, and communities through the shared experience of storytelling.
COME SHARE THE STORY!
On Saturday, September 19, Sabe will bring Oh To Touch the Sky to life during a special community gathering at Quince Coffee House in Denver.
Families are invited to experience this unique storytime alongside an Ethiopian coffee ceremony—a welcoming opportunity to gather, discover culture, listen to a story, and share an experience together.
ONE-OF-A-KIND STORYTIME & ETHIOPIAN COFFEE EXPERIENCE
Saturday, September 19, 2026
11:00 AM – 1:00 PM
Quince Coffee House: 1447 Quince St., Denver, CO
Bring your love of stories. Share a cup. Share a story. Share a culture.
ABOUT SABE KEMER
Sabe Kemer is an Ethiopian-born children’s book author and the founder of Colorado Language Services and Denver Home Healthcare. She has Bachelor’s degree from MSU Denver.
Through her businesses, community work, and storytelling, Sabe builds bridges across language, culture, and lived experience.
With Oh To Touch the Sky, she is sharing a piece of her childhood with a new generation-while inviting Colorado families to experience a culture, language, and story that may be new to them.
Because sometimes, touching the sky begins with a story!
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