Follow Apollo aims to teach Greek traditions and culture to kids all around the world. Katerina Mallios, born in Boston and now living in Chicago talks to Greek City Times about the company she created from her passion and love for Greek culture.
“I feel that growing up outside of Greece slowly disconnects us from our culture and traditions. We kind of lose sight of what it means to be Greek”, says Katerina.
The young Greek woman was inspired by the famous Elf on the Shelf, a stuffed doll that comes out at Christmas time and is widely known in the US. "I just thought that it would be really useful and smart to find a way of spreading knowledge and awareness about Greece and that’s how Follow Apollo was born!"
Follow Apollo aims to help Greek families around the world teach their kids about Greek history, traditions and customs in a fun and engaging way. Its first product is a hardcover book and plush toy that talks about Greek Easter. Children are given the opportunity to learn about Holy Week, Palm Sunday and all relevant religious Festivities regarding Pascha.
Apollo, the main character travels through time and space with his horse Troy, teaching siblings Athena and Dino more about Easter. Along the way, over 50 Greek words are explained and translated; with the help of Apollo, kids will learn how to spell and use the keywords. Furthermore, there is an English-Greek glossary included.
Katerina, born and raised in the US and feels proud of her Greek roots. She thinks that understanding where you come from is crucial for future generations and that is what she is trying to achieve through Follow Apollo; educate and inform kids in an entertaining and captivating way.
“Growing up in places around the world makes it even more important to stay connected to our roots - to understand what it means to be Greek and maintain our values and beliefs. And how are we going to do that, if we do not pass our knowledge and heritage to the future generations?” says Katerina.
More themes are to follow and even more aspects of the Greek culture and history are going to be introduced in future books, she adds.
You can get your Follow Apollo here: thefollowapolloseries
