Too Small Tola by Atinuke (review)

Everyone in Tola's apartment complex in Lagos thinks she is too small to be of any use, but in this three-chapter easy reader, the girl proves them wrong time and again. When Grandmommy asks her to accompany her to the markets, Tola is afraid she won't be able to carry the basket on her head like Grandmommy, but she's surprised by how much she can handle. Then she stands up to a group of bullies that have cowed not just the kids but the adults in her apartment, while the final chapter tracks Tola all through the city as she takes measurements for an injured tailor. The stories are simple and straightforward, and there's a familiar structure to each chapter, even starting with the same scene-setting sentence: "Tola lives in a run-down block of apartments in the megacity of Lagos, in the country of Nigeria." Tola will be relatable to any youngster who has had to prove themselves to the big kids (or grownups), and the secondary cast is delightfully eclectic, from fierce but loving Grandmommy to Tola's soccer-loving brother to the unexpectedly strong Mrs. Shaky-Shaky. The black and white illustrations can be a bit stiff and awkwardly composed, but the lively text more than makes up for it ("Grandmommy eyes the mouse seller like a chicken eyeing an ant"), and the final chapter takes readers on a vivid trip through Lagos, giving a view of the city's vast class and generational differences without being overtly informative or teacherly. This could make a nice companion to The No. 1 Car Spotter (BCCB 11/11), also by the Nigerian-born Atinuke, and it is a must have for easy reader collections in need of cultural diversity.