Too Small Tola Makes It Count

＂Such attention to culturally situated details will prove just as valuable to readers as the core values communicated by these big-hearted stories about a small Nigerian girl.＂ --The Horn Book

Lockdown is over and Too Small Tola is happy to be home with her family again in their apartment in Lagos, Nigeria. Tola loves solving problems, in both math and real life, and there are plenty of problems for her to tackle in their crowded building: Mrs. Shaky-Shaky is having trouble climbing the stairs to her apartment, Mr. and Mrs. Abdul need someone to watch sweet Baby Jide, and Grandmommy needs help deciding what to do on a day out with Tola. Luckily, Tola has ideas to help everyone! But how will Tola solve her own problem--the fact that her classmates don’t believe she worked for Mr. Diamond, the famous music star? One of the Odidi boys even calls her a liar! With support from her family, friends, and neighbors, Tola learns about true friendship and the power of self-belief. There’s no problem too big for Too Small Tola! Community, wit, and love abound in this latest story from award-winning author Atinuke, with whimsical illustrations by Onyinye Iwu.

Atinuke was born in Nigeria and spent her childhood in both Africa and the UK. She is the author of the best-selling Anna Hibiscus series, as well as Africa, Amazing Africa, illustrated by Mouni Feddag; B Is for Baby and Catch that Chicken!, both illustrated by Angela Brooksbank;and Hugo, illustrated by Birgitta Sif, among others. Atinuke started her career as an oral storyteller of tales from the African continent; now she writes about contemporary life in Nigeria. Atinuke lives on a mountain overlooking the sea in West Wales. Visit her website at atinuke.co.uk.

Onyinye Iwu is the illustrator of all four Too Small Tola books. She was born in Italy, where she spent most of her childhood, then moved to the UK when she was a teenager. Her parents are Nigerian, and she was raised with a strong Nigerian identity. A teacher by day and an illustrator by night, she enjoys reading books, especially ones that make her laugh. Onyinye Iwu lives in London. Visit her website at onyinyeiwu.com.