Children’s literature on this side of
the globe received an unexpected boost last Tuesday when publisher and
founder of Clever Clogs publishing company, Mrs. Olubunmi
Aboderin-Talabi, unveiled three Nigerian-themed children picture books
at a ceremony held in Lagos.
The picture books, reviewed at the event
by popular standup comedian, Ali Baba, and prominent educationist, Mrs.
Ekua Abudu, are titled, Tobi Visits The Conservatory, Kob the Antelope
and Diary of A Toddler, respectively.
Written by Aboderin-Talabi, all the
three books focus on themes that help to foster an avid reading culture
amongst Nigerian children, using uniquely illustrated stories.
Explaining how she came about the
decision to start writing and publishing children’s books at the event,
the author said she was remotely driven by a need to replenish her
daughter’s dwindling stock of picture books to visit some book stores
around Lagos in search of books written by Nigerians, which matched the
depth, quality and excitement from those produced abroad.
“In most of the book stores, I had to
search hard for the children’s books, which they kept around the back
somewhere in a corner of the store. It was difficult coming across books
with Nigerian content written by Nigerian authors.
“Later, I decided to start writing.
Initially I wanted to write books just for my daughter’s consumption,
but in the end the idea transformed into a niche publishing house, on
its own publishing children’s picture books that feature characters that
look like our children in an environment that is also familiar to our
children,” she said.
Aboderin-Talabi also disclosed that from
the outset she had decided that all of her stories must have a text and
a subtext, just as she had discovered when reading children’s books
written by European and American authors. She had found that the books
were not just superficial; they had a story and underneath, another
story or message.
She added, “I think what really pushed
me into doing this was when I read a book titled ‘Jack and the Flumflum
Tree’ by Julia Donaldson. In the book, Jack’s grandmother is sick and
they have to find the medicine to cure her.
“When I read the book, it occurred to me
that if our children read it continually they will have a stereotype
about their role in the world and their abilities or where they can
reach.
“I told myself that since Donaldson had
the right to write what she wanted, we also should write about what we
want our children to know; we should write about our values and the
things that are important to us. So I started writing.”
Formally presenting the books, the
author noted that Tobi Visits The Conservatory reinforced a strong
family culture, in addition to defining the role of a father in the
family and the concept of families doing things together.
She also described Diary of A Toddler as
an attempt to redress the practice among European and American authors
of featuring Caucasian characters in settings that were not the reality
for Nigerian children.
However, Tobi Visits The Conservatory,
the first in the Tobi series, tells a story about a Lagos family’s
budget-friendly outing during the holidays. The book includes a map of
Nigeria, the use of a calendar, days of the week, animals and their
habitats. In addition to being entertaining, Aboderin-Talabi thinks the
book can be the basis of an interactive discussion about Lagos tourism,
family bonding time and the role of conservation in society.
Kob the Antelope is an inspiring short
story about a young antelope called Kob which wanders away from his way
home and gets ensnared by a devious hyena. It eventually manages to
escape and finds his way back home. The story teaches children about the
importance of following the advice of a trusted parent over the
flattery of a stranger. It is an illustrative tool for talking to young
children about strangers and danger.
Also, Diary of A Toddler introduces the
concept of time and sequencing to pre-school children, using bright,
colourful illustrations that tell the story of a little Nigerian girl
and her daily adventures. Children see examples of good manners, good
personal hygiene and wholesome activities for toddlers.
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