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Olu & Greta
Olu lives near Lagos, in Nigeria; Greta lives in Milan, in Italy. The two children (both Black) are cousins. “They have never met each other in person! How would they?” A playful narrative paired with pencil and digital illustrations that look like chalk on blackboard distinguish a beguiling picture book about two children who have a close bond and a lot in common, despite the distance between them. They can’t get to one another by walking, or skating, or parade, or spaceship, or dancing, notes the text in a series of page spreads showing them separately engaged in each of these activities on side-by-side pages. “Could they get there by car? By boat? By plane? YES! But not today.” Instead the cousins “send pieces of their lives to one another” (boxes in the mail). They talk to each other (on the computer). They dream of adventures (together in their imaginations). A satisfying wordless page spread at the end of this singular, captivating story shows now-teenage Olu and Greta with arms around each other … at last! ©2022 Cooperative Children’s Book Center
Illustrated by Diana Ejaita
CCBC Age Recommendation: Ages 4-8
Age Range:
PreK-Early Elementary (Ages 4-7)
Grades 3-5 (Ages 8-10)
Format:
Picture book
Subjects:
Cousins
Friendship
Italians and Italian Americans
Nigerians and Nigerian Americans
Diversity subject:
Black/African
Publishers:
Penguin Random House, Rise x Penguin Workshop
Publish Year: 2021
Pages: 32
ISBN: 9780593384909
CCBC Location: Picture Book, Ejaita