Author wants reading culture nurtured with Nigeria-themed books

Clever Clogs, a publishing company, has launched a sequence of Nigeria-themed children picture books to enrich young people’s reading experience.

The books, which include The Tobi Series, Kobi the Antelope and Diary of a Toddler, focus on themes that help to develop a keen reading culture among children, using illustrated stories that depict activities or people in their environment.

At the event, held at NOIR Restaurant, Victoria Island, to mark World Book Day, the founder of Clever Clogs and author of the series, Olubunmi Aboderin Talabi, said she undertook the project to educate, entertain and empower Nigerian children.

Noting that many of the available and best-promoted children’s books are from a different continent, Talabi said these books tell the children’s own stories, interpret the world through their own eyes and promote their own values.

“I write my books to promote our own stories, develop our own narrative and give our children wholesome protagonists who look like them and live in their kind of environment. I want these book to be bedtime story favourites for children across the country.”

Talabi said Clever Clogs seeks to shape the children’s literature industry and showcase positive scenarios about the Nigerian culture.

According to her, following the launch, the company would embark on a book tour to schools across Lagos, to interact with children about the benefit of developing a healthy reading culture from an early age.

She said that in line with this year’s World Book Day theme, ‘Share a Story,’ the launch would encourage a perfect story time and bonding session between parents and children, as well as assist their cognitive development.

Also speaking at the event, ace comedian, Atunyota Alleluya Akpobome, commonly known as Alibaba, described the books as full of lessons that children should know about.