Olu and Greta
by Diana Ejaita (Author) Diana Ejaita (Illustrator)
The geographical and cultural distance between two cousins is counteracted by the universalities of childhood and the dream of uniting.
Olu lives in Lagos, Nigeria; his cousin, Greta, lives in Milan, Italy. Though their lives may be different, their ways of living and playing are quite similar. They both roller skate; they both skip down the street; they both play with toy trains, trucks, and boats... and they both dream of meeting and being together. Debut author-illustrator Diana Ejaita references her own childhood and heritage to create a rich, poignant, and authentic portrayal of Nigeria, of Italy, and of the unity of childhood.
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Publishers Weekly
In Ejaita's absorbing picture book debut, Black cousins Olu and Greta live near Lagos, Nigeria, and in Milan, Italy, respectively, and "they have never met each other in person! How would they?" Ejaita highlights each child's landscape and pet--Olu spends more time among flora with a turtle, while Greta tends to stay indoors with a cat. Still, the duo finds ways to connect despite the distance. Though they cannot reach one another by skating, parade, or spaceship, each cousin participates in the same activities, video-calls, and sends boxes containing "pieces of their lives to one another, instead." Based on her personal experience of having a Nigerian father and Italian mother, Ejaita juxtaposes the cousins' lives through spare prose and artful pencil and digital illustrations, featuring pastel-like colors against black backdrops, which also serve as the cousins' skin tone. A salient reminder that love and connection transcend difference and distance. Ages 3-5. (Nov.)
Copyright 2021 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.JUV030010 - Juvenile Fiction | People & Places | Africa
JUV074000 - Juvenile Fiction | Diversity & Multicultural
Cousins
Nigeria
Milan (Italy)
Lagos (Nigeria)
