Ayobami and the Names of the Animals - by Pilar López Ávila

Book Synopsis

Winner of the 2018 International Latino Book Awards

"In this beautiful gem about a girl who wants to learn to read, letters burst forth from imagery done in cut-paper collage and a rainbow of color, each page telling its own story with a quiet, understated voice." -- B.C. (New York Times)

The war is over and little Ayobami can finally go to school. Everyone is extremely happy, and joy is all over the town. The children are excited to go to school and have a great time, but Ayobami is so impatient that she cannot wait for the other kids and decides to go to class alone.

To keep her from getting lost, Ayobami's father builds a paper boat and pushes it out into the river, telling her, "If you follow it downstream, you will arrive at the schoolhouse." But when the ship sinks, Ayobami must find another way to school through the winding paths of the jungle.

With only the help of a paper and a spent pencil, Ayobami sets off on an exciting journey with a fundamental objective: to learn to read and write. Will the wild animals from the jungle allow her to reach her destination safely?

Review Quotes

"A story, warmly illustrated, about the importance of education, which denounces the difficulties that many children have, especially in continents like Africa, to get to school. The protagonist fights with the perseverance and overflowing enthusiasm of those who long to learn and keep curiosity alive." --Canal Lector

"With the feel of an Aesop's fable, this story is both empowering and reflective of the joy school can bring to children whose lives have been disrupted by war. Beautiful illustrations in graphite, watercolor, and colored pencil lend an ethereal, magical quality to this unnamed place, where dangerous creatures have endearing faces, and letters of the alphabet flutter around Ayobami like protective stardust." --Booklist

"(...) Younger children will likely relate to and enjoy Ayobami's perseverance to attend class. The framework of "naming" animals will also likely appeal to early elementary school-aged children, particularly as they themselves are learning about--and how to write the names of--various animals (...) A solid purchase for elementary school libraries." --School Library Journal

"A marvelous tale of one girl's passion for reading, writing, and learning." --Kirkus Reviews

"In this beautiful gem about a girl who wants to learn to read, letters burst forth from imagery done in cut-paper collage and a rainbow of color, each page telling its own story with a quiet, understated voice." --B.C. (New York Times)