Renowned Nigerian author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie has released her new work, Mama’s Sleeping Scarf, a children’s book.
The book, which was launched recently in Lagos at an event-themed Christmas Magic with Chimamanda, had in attendance dignitaries such as former President Olusegun Obasanjo and former Vice President Prof Yemi Osinbajo, who joined in via telecast.
Published in the UK and US by Harper Collins in September 2023 and later in Nigeria by Narrative Landscape Press in October 2023, the book is Adichie’s inaugural foray into children’s literature.
Mama’s Sleeping Scarf has received acclaim from renowned publications such as The Washington Post, hailing it as “a children’s book that has no agenda beyond joy.” The Guardian UK praised it as “a joyful, acutely observed picture-book account of imaginative adventures,” Ebony Magazine lauded it as “a heartfelt story about family adventures.”
Mama’s Sleeping Scarf weaves a captivating narrative around young Chino, who, through playful interactions with her mother’s colourful scarf, discovers the richness of her family’s culture, values, and the boundless realms of imagination.
Adichie, a US-based multiple award-winning writer, emphasized the pivotal role of reading in critical thinking and urged parents to cultivate a reading culture at home, stressing the transformative power of even a page a day.
