Too Small Tola Makes It Count

by Atinuke, Onyinye Iwu (Illustrator)

Overview

In the fourth book of this irresistibly charming series, Tola finds creative solutions to her neighbors’ difficulties—but can Tola solve her own problem when her friends call her a liar?

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.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781536238150
Publisher:	Candlewick Press
Publication date:	09/17/2024
Series:	Too Small Tola , #4
Pages:	96
Sales rank:	1,034,494
Product dimensions:	5.25(w) x 7.75(h) x (d)
Age Range:	7 - 9 Years

About the Author

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.

Read an Excerpt

Tola Finds a Solution
Tola lives in a run-down block of apartments in the megacity of Lagos, in the country of Nigeria.       She lives with her sister, Moji; her brother, Dapo; and Grandmommy. Grandmommy is the boss of them all.
   Tola has lived with Moji, Dapo, and Grandmommy since the day she was born. But when the virus came to Lagos and lockdown happened, then everything changed.
   Moji went to live at her teacher’s house so she could continue her schoolwork. Dapo went to live at the garage so he could continue training to be a mechanic. And Tola went to work as a house girl for a rich family called the Diamonds because she and Grandmommy had no money for food.
   Tola not only worked there—she lived there too, because that is what house girls do!
   Now Tola does not have to live with the Diamonds anymore. She has agreed to work for them on Saturdays but not until they get back from their stay in London.
   Now lockdown is over and Moji and Dapo and Tola are home. They and Grandmommy are so-so happy!
   “Moji!” Grandmommy orders. “Help me grind the beans for the moi-moi!”
   “Dapo!” Grandmommy orders. “Help me collect a newspaper from the hawkers.”
   “Tola!” Grandmommy orders. “Help me measure how much material I have here.”
   When Grandmommy says “Help me,” she means “Do it for me right now!”
   But Moji and Dapo and Tola don’t mind. They are too happy to mind anything now that they are home and all together.
   Every poor person in Lagos is rejoicing that lockdown is over. Now they can go out into the city and earn money without the police chasing them back inside. All Tola’s neighbors are out in the corridors celebrating.
   “It was hard-o! It was hard!” claims Mama Business.
   Mama Business has children in the UK. They sent her money, so she did not have to leave the apartments even once during lockdown.
   “But we managed, we managed.” Mr. Abdul smiles gently.
   Mr. Abdul had to go to work every day or his family would have starved. He was chased home by the police more times than he can remember.
   “Some of us,” he says, looking at Tola. “Some of us even triumphed.”
   “Some of us are liars!” the Ododi boy mocks.
The Ododi boy does not believe that Tola worked for the Diamonds. The Diamonds are the most uber-mega-famous Afrobeat musicians in Nigeria. There is no way Too Small Tola could have worked for them.
   Mr. Abdul turns away from the Ododi boy. He always turns away from angry people. But Tola’s brother, Dapo, does not.
   “Who are you calling a liar?” he asks angrily.
   Grandmommy steps between them.
   “Dapo,” she orders. “Help me fetch my fan. I am sweating.”
   Dapo hesitates. Then he goes.
   The Ododi boy is taller than Dapo and his muscles are bigger. Grandmommy is a short old lady. But Dapo knows who he is more afraid of!
   “Lockdown is gone!” Mrs. Shaky-Shaky changes the subject quickly. “It is finished—pata-pata!”
   Everybody claps happily.
   Then Mrs. Abdul goes to get a tray of fried chicken she has prepared. Grandmommy asks Moji to fetch the moi-moi. And Mrs. Raheen tells her boy to start roasting corn.
   Now it is a party!
   Tola sits on the stairs with her mouth turned down. She is not in a party mood anymore. Mrs. Shaky-Shaky comes to stand next to Tola on her shaky-shaky legs.
   “Don’t mind that Ododi boy,” she says. “Wait till you tell your friends at school about the Diamonds. You will be a celebrity!”
   Tola does not want to be a celebrity. She does not like everybody looking at her. But she does not want to be called a liar either. That is much worse.
   Mrs. Shaky-Shaky looks past Tola toward the stairs.
   “Before lockdown I used to come down from my room every-every day,” she says.
   Tola nods. At least once a day Mrs. Shaky-Shaky came down to talk to whoever was around. She would sit on the outside steps, and everybody who passed would stop and talk to her.
   “Now it is too hard,” Mrs. Shaky-Shaky continues. “My legs refuse to cooperate.”
   Both Tola and Mrs. Shaky-Shaky sigh. What problems there are in life!