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Too Small Tola Makes It Count (Too Small Tola, #4)
CCBC Review:
Tola (Black), lives in Lagos, Nigeria, with her older sister, brother, and Grandmommy. During the pandemic she was working for famous pop stars, but other kids don’t believe her, leading to a rift with friends now that the pandemic is over. She’s also worried about Mrs. Shaky-Shaky, an elderly neighbor who can no longer easily climb to her apartment on the top floor of their apartment building. Meanwhile, Grandmommy doesn’t like that Tola’s brother Dapo hangs out so much with the “nobodies,” young men in a first-floor apartment, even though Tola has observed that the older boys are nice. A day trip to the seaside with Grandmommy is meant to be a treat, but Tola is unsettled after the long, hot, crowded journey ends at a beach covered with trash—the only one they can afford to visit. But Grandmommy is so happy to have brought her there. Creative thinking, gratitude, patience, and cautious optimism all bring satisfying rewards in Atinuke’s latest story about Tola, which deftly blends tenderness and humor. ©2025 Cooperative Children’s Book Center
Illustrated by Onyinye Iwu
CCBC Age Recommendation: Ages 6-9
Age Range:
PreK-Early Elementary (Ages 4-7)
Grades 3-5 (Ages 8-10)
Format:
Novel
Subjects:
Creativity
Empathy and Compassion
Families
Grandmothers
Gratitude
Humor
Nigerians and Nigerian Americans
Diversity subject:
Black/African
Publisher:
Candlewick
Publish Year: 2024
Pages: 88
ISBN: 9781536238150
CCBC Location: Fiction, Atinuke