Too Small Tola

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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.

Elementary readers will relate to Tola’s interactions with her family as they learn about Nigerian culture. . . an entertaining tale about determination and family. A good choice for fans of the author’s previous ‘Tola’ titles; readers will not be disappointed with this pleasant new installment.

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! Tola is the featured character of this chapter book that looks like a series. I had gotten recommendations from books published in other languages in (I believe) an SLJ article and have been chipping away at reading internationally - but obviously an English translation. This one was a nice one to read today because the last of the three generally unrelated chapters about Tola and her family was about Easter and Eid (and both Easter and Ramadan are both happening at the same time this year which doesn't align very often). In that story, their family friend Mr. Abdul breaks his leg and Tola volunteers to help take measurements for paying customers of his for their Eid outfits. Nothing is too small or too big a job for "too small Tola". Three delightful tales from a renowned Nigerian storyteller introduce a chapter-book heroine who is every bit as mighty as she is small. In the other two chapters it's focused on her grandmother and her going to market and putting all their wares to return home to on their heads in the basket as they do in Lagos, Nigeria. (But they get to stop for treats along the way because her grandmother and her are small!) The other is about her going to school.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. Seren y casgliad gwych hwn o dair stori fer ydy Tola, sy'n byw mewn fflat un ystafell yn Lagos, Nigeria, gyda'i nain a'i brawd a'i chwaer hŷn. Ym mhob stori, mae Tola'n helpu ei theulu a'i chymuned. Ond mae Tola'n cael trafferth yn yr ysgol â'i ffrindiau. O na fyddai bywyd fel Mathemateg, gydag atebion hawdd. A fydd y bobl y mae hi wedi'u cyffwrdd yn ystod eu bywydau yn helpu'r ferch fach hon â'r galon fawr? 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.

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. 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. Living in Nigeria with her grandmother and siblings, Moji and Dapo, is not always easy for Tola. The family’s apartment is small and in need of a makeover, not to mention that the electricity and water situation is unpredictable. But through it all, young Tola shows she can be a big influence. . . Throughout the story we see evidence of Tola’s tight-knit and diverse community. ­An appropriate and enjoyable beginning chapter book for young readers who are transitioning from picture books. In the second tale, Grandmummy announces that she and Tola are off to the beach! And Tola finds something impossible to count – the sand. Finally, in the third story, Tola is looking after baby Jide when he crawls off. Can Tola find him?

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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. A young girl learns that she doesn’t have to be big to make a difference. . .This collection of stories is perfect for transitioning readers, with its manageable chapters, clear, plain language, simple sentence structures, wry sense of humor, and realistic illustrations of the diverse Nigerian cast. . . An enjoyable, endearing collection.