Nigerian-born children’s author Atinuke introduces a memorable new heroine in Too Small Tola. . .Atinuke is a masterful storyteller, playing with language and rhythm as she evokes Tola’s world. Every sentence is fun to read. . . Too Small Tola’s gentle morals linger with an unusually satisfying combination of inevitability and surprise. . . Onyinye Iwu renders Tola and her family in endearing and expressive images that capture their personalities perfectly. Too Small Tola will make readers eager to read more about Tola; Lagos is clearly bursting with more stories to tell. But none of this affects Tola. Just like her Grandmummy, she is never overwhelmed by the bigger world out there and rises to the challenge be it helping her grandmother with the weekly shopping, collecting huge cannisters of water before school or helping measure the Lagos residents for their Eid and Easter costumes. Lagos thrums with life and humour in this new series by Atinuke and glimpses are brought to life by Iwu's ink drawings. Alive with unfamiliar, colorful words, this illustrated chapter book will broaden young readers’ views of the world. Too Small Tola’ has a diminutive heroine, but it’s a big charmer and treats its newly capable readers with a respect that will make them feel knowledgeable and sophisticated.

The illustrations are done in friendly and often funny line drawings. These drawings show vital elements of the story such as the size of the rice bag that Grandmommy carries on her head and the length of the line at the well. They also help to break up the text, making this early chapter book approachable and adding clever humor. I found this book through Dr. Quiroa's Wakelet and was able to access it in an audiobook format via Hoopla through my local public library. It was an enjoyable listen. Though this book has not won any awards, Atinuke, the author has, and it was featured on the 2022 Outstanding International Book List by the United States Board on Books for Young People (USBBY). The story is comprised of three chapters or stories that are separate but center on the same themes of family life, overcoming adversity and rising above people's expectations. In a classroom setting you could easily just read one of the chapters as a stand alone story to expose students to this perspective rather than the entire novel for time's sake. We love Anna Hibiscus and sequels by the same author. This book follows a different young girl, from a different neighborhood and economic class, through several quotidian adventures: a trip to the market, dealing with a bully while queueing for water, helping a neighbor keep his business running after an accident.It’s impossible not to love Atinuke’s little protagonist, who never lets her small size get in the way of her big personality or dreams. The frequent grayscale chapter illustrations will help readers who may be unfamiliar with aspects of Tola’s Nigerian life and culture. A great read-alike for Juana & Lucas fans, the Too Small Tola series is a wonderful addition to early-chapter-book collections. You’d have to practice for a very long while to duplicate the calculated degree of heart and the humor embedded in an Atinuke title. I know Atinuke can’t keep producing these books forever, but for as long as she can, let us hope that she does. Tola is small, but she is mighty. In three episodic chapters, Tola uses her not-inconsequential perseverance to help her grandmother, other family members, and those in her wider Lagos community. . . Atinuke’s writing is rich with imagery and replicates the music and rhythm of Tola’s daily life. The stories are copiously illustrated with line drawings of a round-faced, appealingly welcoming protagonist. The friendly format, universal emotional truths, helpful illustrations, and strong writing work together to immerse young readers in Tola’s world.

Tola lives with her older brother and sister and Grandmommy in a one-room apartment in a run-down building in a large city. Her father moved to the UK for work (because, Grandmommy says, who can find a stable job in Nigeria!?) and sends money home. The mother is never mentioned. Brother is obsessed with football (soccer) and cars, sister is extremely focused on her studies as she has a scholarship to a good school -- they tease Tola sometimes for being so small -- they usually rise to the occasion when help is needed. Grandmommy is formidable but also loving. Life is not easy, but it's not miserable, either. Sometimes the electricity works, sometimes it doesn't. Sometimes the water runs in the (shared) bathroom faucet, sometimes the children have to lug heavy jugs of water from the pump downstairs and be late for school. (But, Grandmommy reminds them, it could be worse -- they could be living in a cardboard box!) When Grandmommy and Tola go to market, they have to walk a long way, past stinking gutters and the market is all on mud. Tola and her family are very likable and have a believable relationship where you can tell they love each other even when they are not getting along. . . gives a clear picture of what it can be like to live in poverty without being too graphic for young readers.

Mae'r straeon byrion yn gwneud y llyfr hwn yn un hawdd troi ato, ac mae'r darluniau annwyl yn dod â bywyd Tola'n fyw gyda hiwmor. Dathliad hyfryd o gymuned, teulu a chariad. The short stories make this book easy to dip into, and the warm illustrations bring Tola’s world to life with humour. Readers will enjoy the portrayals of Tola’s community and family, and might recognise her friendship concerns. Life does not always have straightforward answers, unlike maths, and sometimes it’s your friends and family who help you find your way. A celebration of community and family – and love. This poignant book conveys great warmth and familial love despite the characters’ tenuous circumstances. Tola is an endearing and utterly relatable protagonist. The tale uses colloquialisms and references that will make Nigerian readers feel at home. . . . Mighty fine! In all of these stories, Tola and her neighbors are very capable and there is none of the poverty porn / "overcoming adversity" tone so common in books for children set beyond the West. Three delightful tales from a renowned Nigerian storyteller introduce a chapter-book heroine who is every bit as mighty as she is small.