Korobá lives in the Nigerian fishing village of Makoko, a setting I’ve never seen featured in a middle grade book. She likes to visit the market and walk the waterways with friends, Saidat and Joba, and Popi her cute dog.

The graphic style is perfect for this detective type story when Saidat’s Kolo is missing. A Kolo is a box, usually decorated, and each child in Makoko has one. They each use it to save money all year in anticipation of the annual harvest festival.

As the detective work begins, Korobá forms a list with her friends of possible suspects . There is no obvious culprit so readers will be guessing the identity of the thief along with the team of sleuths. There are clues early on which may lead you to the guilty party.

With superb, brightly colored illustrations the story moves along at a fast pace. I enjoyed learning about the real village of Makoko and how different it is compared to where I live. The intended audience will surely feel the same way.

Korobá: The Case of the Missing Kolo is best for new middle grade readers and for those who love an engaging mystery. The series will continue soon with the next adventure, Korobá: The Case of the Broken Masterpiece.

BOOK BIRTHDAY: Feb. 24 PAGES: 144

ABOUT THE AUTHOR/ILLUSTRATOR

Àlàbá Ònájìn is a children’s book author/illustrator born in Lagos state, Nigeria and has a Diploma in Freelance Cartooning and Illustration from The Morris College of Journalism, Surrey, Kent, UK. He is currently living in Gloucester, England, having recently emigrated from his home in Lagos, Nigeria. He has always had a passion for telling stories through his drawings, and as a child, was strongly influenced by the illustration style of Hergé’s Tintin series; these books sparked an energy to bring his stories to young readers around the world.

Ònájìn’s work includes two picture books with Maria Modugno at Random House Studio, Waaa Waaa Goes Tawa!, and Oh No, Ojo (2025). Past books include Anike Eleko, a comic book on girls’ education published by Farafina Books, On Ajayi Crowther Street, a graphic novel published by Cassava Republic in collaboration with the German cultural organization Goethe Institut, and other art collaborations with UNESCO on the Role of Women in African History Project, illustrating the lives of three great African women: Funmilayo-Ransome Kuti, Empress Taytu Betul of Ethiopia, and Miriam Makeba. (Author’s Website)

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