Too Small Tola by Atinuke

Too Small Tola, by the creator of Anna Hibiscus, introduces a winsome little girl growing up in Lagos, Nigeria

Too Small Tola by Atinuke, illustrated by Onyinye Iwu. Candlewick, 2021, 89 pages.

Reading Level: Chapter book, ages 4-8

Recommended for: ages 5-7, independent readers and 4-6 as a read-aloud

Tola is the youngest of her family, and the smallest! Sister Moji is the smart one and brother Dapo is the athletic one, but Tola has nothing but size to set her apart. Or so she thinks. Grandmommy (“who is very-very bossy”) also grew up small and knows that size is no indicator of mightiness. She sets out to prove that on the day she takes Tola to Mile 12 Market. Tola discovers she can carry a lot more than she thought (especially with soft-drink and ice-cream breaks). In two other stories, Tola holds her own against a bully at the communal water faucet and helps Tailor Abdul finish a flurry of special dresses in time for Easter and Eid.

Author Atinuke wrote the Anna Hibiscus series, which we love (see our starred review!). Too Small Tola is off to a promising start, with cheerful slices of life from a neighborhood very different from any American kid’s. However, family dynamics will seem familiar to any child with older siblings. Tola and her family are Christians but dwell harmoniously with their Muslim neighbors. Though dirt-poor according to our standards, they manage to live a good life in spite of normal daily frustrations. 

Overall rating: 4.25 (out of 5)

• Worldview/moral value: 4
• Artistic/literary value: 4.5

Also at Redeemed Reader:

• Review: Akissi: Tales of Mischief features another little girl, this one in Ivory Coast, who can’t help getting into trouble.
• Reviews: Catch That Chicken!, a picture book by Atinuke, is a delightful tale of African village life.
• Resource: See our interview with author Jane Kurtz, who grew up with missionary parents in Ethiopia, on the influence of African culture on her fiction.

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